Lushtaku calls for first draft of strategy to support former KLA leaders

Democratic Party of Kosovo MP Mërgim Lushtaku has called for the first draft of a strategy to support former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army to be prepared as soon as possible. He said an initial document would make it possible to discuss its contents and the next steps.

The working group drafting the strategy is expected to meet today. The strategy concerns former KLA leaders who were convicted at first instance by the Specialist Court.

Speaking on KosovaPress’s “Interview of the Week” program, Lushtaku said that, based on the information he has, the work is moving in the right direction and there is a willingness to move it forward. He stressed the need for coordination, adding that responsibility for the process has been entrusted to chairwoman Vlora Çitaku and others who may be able to make a greater contribution. Lushtaku said he, too, would try to contribute.

Discussing the return of the draft law on the Specialist Chambers to the Assembly, the MP described the move as necessary to give experts an opportunity to submit new proposals and amendments. He said the main goal is to protect the KLA’s wartime leaders and that the amendments proposed so far have been appropriate for that purpose. In his view, the existing law was not poorly drafted; the opportunity was to supplement and amend it, not to abolish the court. Lushtaku added that, although abolishing it entirely may be what they want, there have been other concerns about doing so.

If the amendments do not have the intended effect, Lushtaku said the Assembly should pass the law in its current form and send it back to President Shiroka-Pula for promulgation. He said the process should not return to square one.

Asked whether the law’s return to the Assembly was linked to internal elections in the PDK, Lushtaku denied it, based on the information he has. He said he hoped no one held that view, either inside or outside the party. According to him, the matter has been misinterpreted because of a lack of communication from the PDK. Lushtaku criticized the decision to issue only a political statement, saying the party should have clarified the matter at a press conference from the outset.

Lushtaku also criticized the Kurti government’s draft budget for 2027, focusing on capital investment and project implementation. He claimed there is more than 1 billion euros less in capital investment because the government has failed to deliver on its promises, including roads and stadiums. He said the problem is not a lack of budget planning but a lack of professional preparation, ability and willingness to implement decisions and complete projects, with citizens bearing the consequences. He said more than 22 projects have been budgeted at zero, that only about 18 percent of the projects planned for 2027 are new, and that more than 82 percent are carried over from year to year.