Constitutive session announced for August, Aliçkaj issues stern call to parties: No more time for delays, Kosovo in danger

A few days ago, Albulena Haxhiu, acting President of Kosovo, announced that the session for the constitution of the next legislature of the Assembly, resulting from the June 7 elections, is expected to be held in the first weeks of August.

However, due to the lack of concrete indicators of an agreement between the parties, it remains unclear whether the country will be able to establish its institutions within the deadlines or will face a new political blockade and the consequences it brings to state functioning.

On this issue, Agim Aliçkaj, an Albanian activist from the United States, told “Bota sot”, describing the formation of new institutions as an emergency and stressing that political forces must reach a solution without wasting time.

In this context, he also refers to the calls of the acting prime minister for meetings with opposition leaders.

“Efforts to constitute the state bodies, after three rounds of completely unnecessary elections, have become an immediate necessity, which now must absolutely produce quick results. Otherwise, the functioning and the very existence of the Republic of Kosovo are endangered.

Prime Minister Kurti seems to have understood the weight of his role, by respectfully inviting the leaders of PDK, LDK and AAK to regular and serious discussions on the formation of governing institutions. The statements and positions of the opposition leaders during the first contacts do not indicate that they are up to the task of perceiving the seriousness of this emergency situation,” he said.

Furthermore, Aliçkaj commented on the opposition parties’ reactions to Kurti’s invitation, criticizing them for a lack of readiness for compromise. He said that AAK is opposing dialogue, while PDK, according to him, aims to remain in opposition and counts on new elections.

For the LDK, Aliçkaj stressed that it is going through a period of internal confusion, which, according to him, has also led to the suspension of negotiations for a possible cooperation with the Vetëvendosje Movement.

“The head of AAK, Ardian Gjini, has opposed the talks, presenting six conditions, which he says are not conditions. He seems relaxed, because he thinks his party has nothing left to lose and that it has a stable electorate to secure a presence in Parliament. For him, it is more important that the winner does not govern, even if the state weakens. Such a political entity does not deserve to pass the electoral threshold.

The head of PDK has merely made public the decision of the party’s real leaders that it should remain in opposition. This implies boycotting the process of creating institutions, in the hope that LVV, together with the divided LDK, will not manage to secure the quorum for electing the President, and that the country will head towards new elections.

PDK’s interest in new elections is based on the manipulations of the Serbian lobbyist, former US ambassador Richard Grenell, for the release of Thaçi and Veseli from the Hague Tribunal. They fail to understand that, even if released, their impact on votes will be negligible. Their core problem is corruption, subservience to foreigners, and concessions to Serbia. If they do not apologize for past mistakes and do not transform themselves, they have no way to gain new votes.

The LDK has turned into complete chaos and it is unknown who controls it. The head of LDK, Lumir Abdixhiku, together with former President Vjosa Osmani, started discussions well with Prime Minister Kurti for a possible coalition. But very soon he had to suspend the talks because his position was jeopardized. Now he must deal with internal party factions, some of whom have sympathies for the Serbian List, some for the clerics of the Patriarchate of Peja, and some for PDK,” he underlined.

Further, the Albanian activist stressed that political blockades are seriously damaging the state, adding that all parties bear responsibility for creating new institutions.

“The prolonged political crisis is turning into a threatening situation for the state of Kosovo. There is no more room for boycotts, blockades, or justifications for them. Blaming others does not benefit anyone.

Only the people of Kosovo determine the guilty ones, and this much-suffering, patient people cannot be fooled. All parties that took part in the elections bear responsibility for setting up institutions, especially the deputies elected by the people, regardless of who won and who lost.”

Likewise, he called on the opposition to accept the result and cooperate with the winning force, since the citizens, with their vote, chose Kurti as leader.

Regarding the president’s issue, according to him, three capable, independent, and non-partisan candidacies should be proposed.

“The losers of the elections have only one honorable path: to become a constructive opposition, to change, and to work hard for a possible victory in regular elections four years from now.

Everyone must respect the people’s will expressed through the vote and understand once and for all that, without the state, they are nobody. For the third time in a row, by a strong vote, the people are expressing their desire that the state be led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his coalition.

If the deputies elected by the people are on the path of God and not of the devil, the solution is easy. The Government and Parliament can be formed by Mr. Kurti, with some light coalition as needed. Three capable, independent, and non-partisan candidates should be proposed for president. The deputies must stay in the hall for the vote, as required by the obligation of the work for which they were elected. The president should be elected by majority vote,” he elaborated.

In the end, he added that the Constitution of Kosovo has provisions that, according to him, allow the blocking of institutions, and that they should be reviewed to prevent political crises.

Aliçkaj stressed that creating institutions is a state and national obligation, noting that prolonged boycotts and blockades damage the state’s functioning.

“The Constitution of Kosovo is highly complicated and was drafted for elevated and conscientious people, but it has also given excessive privileges to minorities. The Serbian List exploits it with the aim of destroying the state. The Constitutional Court of Kosovo has complicated the election of the President with the decision on the unnecessary quorum requirement of two-thirds of deputies. Ways must be found to change these rules and create a normal situation that does not allow the blocking of the state.

Creating institutions is a state and national obligation. Their prolonged boycott and blockade, regardless of the reasons, can turn into hostility and treason against the state and nation,” concluded Agim Aliçkaj for “Bota sot”.