Kusari-Lila: The president should be elected first, followed by amendments to the law on the Specialist Chambers

Mimoza Kusari-Lila, leader of Alternativa, a party that is part of the winning Vetëvendosje coalition, has called on political parties to first agree on a consensus candidate for president and only afterward undertake amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers.

The Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade said the process must be completed before October 6 in order to avoid new elections.

According to her, priority should be given to electing the president, after which the parties should cooperate on amending the law and supporting the defense teams in the appeals process.

Kusari-Lila stressed that the deadlines concerning the former KLA leaders’ case are tight and that the case must be submitted as soon as possible.

She recalled that the deadline for appealing a judgment by the Hague Specialist Chambers is 30 days from its presentation or publication. So far, she said, only the announcement of the verdict has been made public, while the full judgment has not yet been published.

The minister explained that the 30-day deadline, in relation to the October 6 date set by the Constitutional Court, expires on October 16. After that, an additional 60 days are available for the full submission of the case, a deadline that expires after December 10.

Speaking about meetings between political parties concerning the election of the president, Kusari-Lila said there is a willingness to reach an agreement, describing consensus as the only possibility for electing the head of state before October 6.

She said that the willingness to reach an agreement has existed, continues to exist and will remain present, but stressed that agreement can be reached only through meetings and joint decisions by political leaders.

Kusari-Lila said that by October 6, an agreement on the president must be reached, decisions and steps for approving the draft law must be determined, and assistance for the defense teams in The Hague must be coordinated.