OVL-UÇK threatens protest escalation, Jakupi: Direct political pressure on Kurti and the Assembly

The Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans Organization has warned that it will intensify its actions if the amendment to the Law on Specialist Chambers is not approved. For this reason, it has called for a mass gathering on Monday in front of the Kosovo Assembly building.

Political analyst Zejnullah Jakupi, in an interview for “Bota sot,” commented on these new developments in the country’s political scene. He stresses that the threat of protest escalation is closely linked to the OVL-UÇK’s demand for legal changes, noting that the issue has gone beyond a purely legal dimension and has taken on a pronounced political character, especially in the context of negotiations for the election of the president.

“This issue should be analyzed on two levels: the legal-institutional and the political. It would not be accurate to say that the protest is only against Kurti, but from the recent communications of the OVL-UÇK it is evident that the prime minister and the government have become the target of open criticism,” Jakupi stated.

According to him, the veterans’ central demand is the immediate approval of the legal changes in both parliamentary readings. The OVL-UÇK has clearly warned that if a political and procedural agreement is not reached by October 4, escalation of actions will begin on October 5, starting with the protest in front of the Assembly.

Jakupi notes that after the first-instance decision against four former KLA leaders on September 16, the issue of the Special Court has become one of the most sensitive political topics in Kosovo. In parallel, a clear political interconnection has been created between this issue and the institutional crisis surrounding the election of the president.

The analyst sees the protest as a form of political confrontation with the Kurti government, but underlines that the official objective remains the approval of the legal changes. The protest, according to him, simultaneously has an institutional and political character, unfolding in a tense atmosphere of political clashes.

“In the political aspect, yes, to a considerable extent. We do not need to assume this, because the OVL-UÇK itself in its statement directly criticizes Kurti, accusing him of political calculations and procedural games,” he added.

However, Jakupi makes an important distinction: the declared objective of the protest is the voting of the legal changes, while the political objective of the pressure is the Assembly and the parliamentary majority that must make this vote possible. The veterans’ main current criticism is directed at Kurti and the government, therefore the protest is not simply a social manifestation on the veterans’ issue, but is unfolding in the middle of a much broader political conflict.

Regarding the possibility of any secret agreement, Jakupi says there is insufficient evidence to confirm a coordinated scenario behind the protest, but admits that the issue has become intertwined with various political interests. He points out that the PDK has initiated the legal changes and has demanded that this issue be addressed before the negotiations for the president, while Bedri Hamza has stated that his party seeks the approval of the law before discussing the head of state.

According to the analyst, there are currently at least three intersecting interests: the veterans and the OVL-UÇK who demand the change of the law and react to what they consider stalling, the opposition especially the PDK which has politically linked this issue to institutional developments, and the Kurti government which on October 2 declared that there are no legal obstacles to the legislative initiative.

“The situation cannot be reduced to the formula OVL-UÇK against Kurti. It is rather a multiple pressure on institutions, where Kurti has become the main politically targeted figure,” Jakupi emphasizes.

The analyst assesses that the protest is functioning as an effective tool of political pressure, with the deadline set by the OVL-UÇK serving as a pressure mechanism on decision-makers. If the legal changes are approved, the pressure is expected to drop significantly, but if they fail and the protests continue, the conflict could transform from a legal debate on the Special Court into a broader political clash between the government, the opposition, and organizations that emerged from the war.

Jakupi also draws attention to an important legal limitation: changing the law is not simply a matter of the Assembly’s will, as Kosovo has made international commitments regarding the Specialist Chambers. Experts have warned that any change must be in accordance with these international obligations.

In conclusion, the analyst stresses that if the government brings the change of the law precisely in this period when the first-instance decision has been issued, there is a possibility that this could create other political and legal problems. He mentions the concern raised by analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu, who has argued that such an action could be perceived as interference with or obstruction of justice and could have political consequences for the government and the prime minister, raising the question of whether the change aims for a general legal effect or a concrete outcome in a judicial process that is still ongoing.