The Alliance declares that it will support every legal and democratic initiative aimed at ensuring justice in the judicial proceedings against former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The Hague.

In its public statement, the Alliance emphasizes that its institutional position on this issue has not changed since the proceedings began. It continues to uphold its belief that the Kosovo people’s war for liberation, led by the KLA, was just, pure and inevitable.

According to the Alliance, this conviction remains unwavering and forms the basis of its position on the proceedings in The Hague.

The Alliance expresses its belief that the judicial proceedings will end with the acquittal of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.

For this reason, it calls on Kosovo and its institutions to take every necessary action to support the process and contribute to a conclusion marked by full justice.

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Alliance deputy leader Besnik Tahiri has described the Specialist Chambers’ guilty verdict against the former KLA leaders as political.

While taking part in a protest against the ruling, Tahiri said state institutions should make a more serious effort to appeal the decision.

According to him, the decision has nothing to do with justice, and the reasoning presented disregards the circumstances of the war, which, he said, was fought for freedom and in defense against genocide.

Tahiri called for every possible step to be taken to bring the case before the appeals court. He criticized the institutions, saying they had done nothing significant over the past five years and must now reflect.

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Alliance MP Bekë Berisha joined the protest held outside the government building against the Specialist Chambers’ guilty verdict against the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

He said he had been convinced that Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi would be released by the Specialist Chambers.

“I expected them to be released. I was convinced they would be released, and I thought they wouldn’t even convict our allies, our liberators. This is unprecedented and has never happened anywhere,” Berisha said.

According to the MP, the verdict has highlighted that the KLA is not serving as a unifying factor for the citizens of Kosovo, but is creating a divide between those with patriotic feelings and others who, as he put it, do not share those feelings.

“Many are saying that the KLA unites us, but it can be seen that the KLA is dividing us into patriotic people and others who do not share these feelings,” he added.

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Besnik Tahiri, deputy leader of the Alliance, has reacted to the guilty verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, saying that the decision disregarded the historical context in which the Kosovo Liberation Army’s war took place.

In a Facebook post, Tahiri said that the KLA fought not only for independence and freedom, but also to protect the Albanian people from violence, expulsion and attempts to eradicate them from Kosovo.

He recalled that the KLA’s fight against genocide took place at a time when the tragedy in Bosnia was still fresh. According to Tahiri, the disregard for this reality shows that the Specialist Chambers’ decision is political and unjust, rather than an act of justice.

Tahiri emphasized that the Kosovo Liberation Army’s war remains a glorious part of the country’s history and represents a just struggle to defend the people, their dignity and freedom.

According to him, no judgment can undo this historical truth or the sacrifice of thousands of people.

The Alliance’s deputy leader said he would always support any initiative aimed at securing the release of the KLA leaders, preserving the values of the liberation war and ensuring full justice.

Concluding his response, Tahiri called for this injustice to be corrected and ended his message with the words: “Not in my name!”

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The “Kurti 4” government was voted in today at an extraordinary session of the Assembly of Kosovo, receiving 62 votes in favor.

Today, the Assembly also elected LDK member Kujtim Shala as deputy speaker, while Emilja Rexhepi and Tanja Vujoviq from the Serb List were elected by the non-Serb communities.

With the election of the deputy speakers, according to Speaker Albulena Haxhiu, the eleventh legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo, which had begun its work on Sunday, was also constituted.

The PDK did not participate in the plenary session and, consequently, withdrew Vlora Çitaku’s candidacy for deputy speaker.

Meanwhile, Ardian Gola had been elected deputy speaker on Friday.

Alliance leader Ardian Gjini opposed the vote on the government, describing it as unconstitutional and illegitimate.

In a Facebook statement, Gjini announced that the party he leads would refer the matter to the Constitutional Court and request priority consideration.

“The government voted in today is unconstitutional and illegitimate. The Alliance will turn to the Constitutional Court, and we expect it to address the matter as a priority, since the foundations of constitutionality are being shaken,” Gjini wrote.

Alliance deputy leader and lawmaker Besnik Tahiri also reacted sharply after the Assembly session, describing the new parliamentary majority as “directionless.”

Tahiri said that, after nearly two years marked by political, institutional, constitutional and economic crises, Kosovo now has an unconstitutional Assembly and government.

“A majority that produces crises at a time when the country faces decisions vital to its history, as well as its future,” he wrote.

The Alliance lawmaker accused the new majority of “political crises and games,” claiming that “a great deal of scheming and irresponsibility” had been evident over the past two days alone.

He also questioned lawmakers’ positions regarding the Serb List’s anti-state statements, saying that the vote in the Assembly showed how sincere those positions had been.

According to Tahiri, citizens have once again heard the same promises from the Kurti 4 government, but have seen no concrete results.

“Millions spent without a single project completed. This is happening at a time when the price crisis has made citizens’ lives more difficult, when fuel has reached 1 euro and 83 cents, electricity bills have peaked, and inflation for the same period has risen to 7.3%,” Tahiri wrote.

In conclusion, he strongly criticized the government, saying that “these people have lost their direction” and that they are also causing the people and the state to lose theirs.

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The Alliance has decided not to take part in the continuation of the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly, scheduled for Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. The decision was announced by the party’s leader, Ardian Gjini, following a meeting of the party presidency, where recent political developments and issues concerning the Alliance’s organization and functioning were discussed, reports KosovaPress.

According to Gjini, the majority of lawmakers in the parliamentary group and members of the party presidency supported the decision not to take part in the session, arguing that the situation in the country constitutes a continuing violation of the Constitution.

“I must tell you that today the Alliance confirmed the will of the majority of the parliamentary group and the presidency not to take part tomorrow and not to legitimize the continuing and brutal violation of the Constitution of Kosovo by the party that emerged as the winner. In other words, Kosovo today is entirely outside the constitutional framework. We know that even after the 30 days we have been talking about for the certification of the election results, we ourselves stayed outside and tolerated a political interpretation of the Constitution by the winning party itself, giving itself another 30 days on top of the 30-day period that exists based on the Constitutional Court’s interpretation of the Constitution. We saw that the session was called twice in the final days before that 30-day period expired, while this latest summons, issued four days after even its own political interpretation had expired, we see as an insult to Kosovo, an insult to its citizens, an insult to our state, the Constitution and the lawmakers,” Gjini said.

He explained that the Alliance would have taken part in the session if the summons had been issued by Saturday, which, according to him, was when the second 30-day deadline expired.

The Alliance leader announced that, following the latest developments, the party would seek to have the matter referred to the Constitutional Court. He said they would coordinate this step with the other two opposition parties.

“What Kosovo is certainly facing is a referral to the Constitutional Court, which must be agreed upon with the other two parties that we see… still in opposition. We do not know where we will be tomorrow, because no party knows. But as of today, since they are in opposition, we must reach an agreement with them and refer the matter to the Constitutional Court, because today we have no other option but this course of action,” Gjini said.

Gjini said that during the meeting of the party presidency, the majority of members voted against taking part in Wednesday’s session, while only one member expressed a different view.

“None of the lawmakers was opposed; one member of the presidency expressed a different opinion. Only one of the members present. Exactly in accordance with the rules and properly on the matter. What will happen tomorrow… you see, my concern, based on what we understand and what we are seeing happening to Kosovo in this era of great deception, is that we believe it will not be constituted tomorrow either. Even if it is constituted tomorrow, it will be outside the constitutional framework; it is unconstitutional. But whether we believe it or not, the masquerades we have seen before should not confuse us: tomorrow, even in this unconstitutional situation, it will not be constituted,” he said.

The continuation of the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. The session is expected to proceed with the constitution of the legislature, as well as the election of the speaker and deputy speakers of the Assembly. VV, PDK and LDK, the three major parliamentary parties, have confirmed that they will take part in the continuation of the constitutive session.

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Following the opposition of six LDK lawmakers to the decision to support Bekim Sejdiu as Kosovo’s president, the Alliance says it can secure seven votes for the process. However, the party is demanding that its six strategic points be accepted and that talks with LVV leader Albin Kurti be held publicly. Kurti refused to consider the Alliance’s conditions, a position that political analysts have described as unhelpful.

The preliminary agreement between Albin Kurti and Lumir Abdixhiku provided for Bekim Sejdiu to be the candidate for the next president of the Republic. However, the opposition of six LDK lawmakers has made the vote count in the Assembly more difficult.

To secure the necessary support, Kurti could seek the Alliance’s seven votes, but this would be conditional on the approval of its six strategic points. So far, the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement has shown no willingness to accept them.

Alliance lawmaker Burim Ramadani commented on Kurti’s position, saying that the rejection of the offer, made at the beginning of September after two months of waiting, shows that LVV is not seeking the Alliance’s seven votes. According to him, this could lead to citizens being punished, new elections and a lack of quorum, while accepting the six points would keep the Alliance part of the Assembly.

Ramadani stressed that the Alliance has never opposed a meeting with the head of LVV, but has requested that it be open and held in front of the cameras.

“We are not a lobbying organization, but a political party with political and public positions. The Alliance has not refused the meeting; on the contrary, it has requested it publicly and in front of the cameras. Mr. Gjini has nothing to hide from the people, while someone else wanted the meeting to be held in secret,” said Burim Ramadani, an Alliance lawmaker.

The Alliance lawmaker added that tonight also marks the end of the deadline, according to LVV’s political interpretation, for the constitution of the Assembly, while he described the call for September 9 as a provocation.

Political analyst Fitim Mulolli said he regretted Albin Kurti’s rejection of the Alliance’s six points. He said that an approach leaving room for negotiations or discussions would have been more measured and consensual.

According to Mulolli, following the opposition of the six LDK lawmakers, the Alliance’s votes have become even more important to keep the country from going to new elections, meaning the response to its demands should have been more constructive.

A few days ago, LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku announced that Avdullah Hoti, Hykmete Bajrami, Kujtim Shala, Armend Zemaj, Arben Gashi and Janina Ymeri had decided not to implement the party Presidium’s decision to support Bekim Sejdiu for president.

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MPs from the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Alliance once again appeared in the Assembly’s plenary chamber, where they sharply criticized the Vetëvendosje Movement for postponing the constitutive session, describing the move as unconstitutional.

PDK leader Bedri Hamza said the postponement of the session violates the deadlines and obligations arising from the constitutional order, as well as the deadline previously interpreted by the Vetëvendosje Movement.

He stressed that the Assembly cannot remain deadlocked until a political party has completed its political calculations.

Hamza warned that the PDK would not allow constitutional violations to become the norm or court decisions to depend on political will.

“The Democratic Party of Kosovo will not accept the continued violation of the Constitution or allow it to become established practice. Nor will we accept court decisions being treated as a matter of political will, or a prime minister, whoever that may be, deciding which institution should function and which should not. Democracy is not destroyed in a single day, but is eroded step by step. Today, a deadline is not respected; tomorrow, a decision is not implemented; the day after tomorrow, the courts are disregarded; and then an institution is blocked. In the end, citizens are told that everything is normal. This is not normal, and we will not accept it as such,” Hamza said.

According to the PDK leader, the situation that has arisen should not be accepted as normal. He said the party would use all democratic and institutional mechanisms at its disposal.

Hamza added that Kosovo must be governed on the basis of the Constitution and the law, announcing a new phase of action for the PDK.

“The Democratic Party of Kosovo’s position is firm: Kosovo will be governed in accordance with the Constitution and the law. Therefore, a new phase begins today, in which the PDK will not limit itself solely to demands for respect for the rule of law. We will act with maturity and responsibility, using all the democratic and institutional means available to us under the constitutional order of the Republic of Kosovo,” Hamza said.

Alliance MP Burim Ramadani also accused the Vetëvendosje Movement of violating the Constitution, dividing the violations into three areas.

Ramadani cited the violation of the spirit of the Constitution, the failure to implement the Constitutional Court’s interpretations and decisions, and the failure to fulfill national, moral and state obligations to ensure that Kosovo’s institutions function.

He described the political situation as a serious blow to democracy.

“It is clear that Dehari, as the presiding member by virtue of his age, has acted during this period as part of Vetëvendosje, in terms of his attributes. This person, namely Kurti, without consulting anyone, not even Vetëvendosje, has continued to brutally violate the Constitution and our constitutional order. Chaos and institutional instability are among the main consequences of this failure. Unfortunately, Vetëvendosje MPs, or more precisely some of them, based on what Vetëvendosje has displayed, are continuously violating the Constitution and the constitutional order. This constitutes a major blow to democracy. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, together with the other opposition parties and every citizen who loves Kosovo and our state, will work to defend democracy, the Constitution and the state,” Ramadani said.

Ramadani described the situation as a “blow to the heart of the Constitution.”

Avni Dehari, who is presiding over the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly, announced on September 5 that the session would resume on September 9 at 11:00.

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Avni Arifi, Secretary-General of the Alliance, said that his party continues to maintain the same position regarding the conditions for supporting a candidate for president of Kosovo.

According to him, the Alliance is not involved in any political project between acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti and LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku regarding this issue.

Arifi stressed that it is up to Kurti and Abdixhiku to clarify the situation concerning the presidency, while the Alliance’s position, he said, has not changed.

“We are not part of the Kurti-Abdixhiku project. It is up to them to clarify the matter. Our position is the same as it was three months ago. Nothing has changed for us,” Arifi said.

His response was made public on the same day that VV and LDK agreed that Bekim Sejdiu would be their joint candidate for president of Kosovo.

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In front of the government building, the PDK and the Alliance held another action, calling for an end to the institutional deadlock. Arian Imeri, head of the PDK assembly group in Ferizaj, said that the non-functioning of central institutions is directly affecting municipalities and citizens.

Imeri called for an agreement to establish the institutions to be reached as soon as possible, warning that their absence is causing legal uncertainty in relations between central and local government.

He said the political majority must end the blockade, establish the institutions and pay attention to the concrete problems of municipalities and citizens. According to Imeri, Kosovo and the region have no time to lose, while citizens have fulfilled their obligation by participating in elections and making their choice. For this reason, he called for good and responsible governance, rather than a continuation of the blockades.

Criticism of the situation was also voiced by Alberton Sahiti, head of the Alliance branch in Ferizaj. He pointed out that the Municipality of Ferizaj is among the municipalities facing consequences because of the lack of functioning and support from central institutions.

Sahiti called on Albin Kurti not to continue, as he put it, obstructing the functioning of local institutions.

According to him, the current government has blocked not only Kosovo’s institutions, but also the municipalities. Sahiti stressed that municipalities across the country are facing problems and challenges, while Ferizaj, he said, is one of the municipalities most affected by the lack of coordination, the failure to function properly and the lack of support from this government. He called on Kurti to reflect and not obstruct either government institutions or municipalities.

During the action, PDK MP Elmi Reçica criticized Vetëvendosje Movement leader Albin Kurti, accusing him of blocking the institutions and calling on him to return to the Assembly.

Reçica described the situation as worrying, particularly for citizens and children, who, he said, need functioning institutions.

The PDK MP called on Kurti, whom he also described as a “political vandal,” to stop the actions he considers acts of vandalism and return to the Assembly. Reçica said that if Kurti has 61 votes to elect the government, the PDK and the Alliance will give him their votes for the speaker and deputy speaker of the Assembly, so that the government can begin functioning.

He warned that Kosovo can no longer wait, accusing Kurti of managing situations to the detriment of the country by creating crises. Reçica said that a return to the Assembly is necessary, as delays could have consequences for Kosovo and for all those who are becoming an obstacle to its development.

The PDK has been organizing actions in front of the government building for more than two weeks. Through them, the party is opposing the continuation of Albin Kurti’s tenure as prime minister and calling for the institutions to become functional.

On different days, the actions have also been joined by Alliance MPs, as well as local PDK representatives from various municipalities across Kosovo.

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