Former Education Minister Arsim Bajrami has called on members of the Kosovo Assembly and representatives of all political entities to overcome their divisions and work toward establishing the country’s institutions.

In an interview on the “InfoMagazine” program, Bajrami said that the ongoing blockades and political clashes were harming Kosovo, while the consequences were being borne by the interests of its citizens.

He called on both the parties that won the elections and those in opposition to return to dialogue and contribute to putting the institutions into operation.

“From this studio as well, although I am outside political circles, I call on all political actors without exception—both those who won the elections and those who did not win the elections but are in opposition—to come to their senses, use common sense, sit down, establish Kosovo’s institutions and move forward,” Bajrami said.

According to him, no one benefits from the continuation of these clashes, as citizens ultimately pay the price.

“Because, ultimately, these political clashes make losers of us all. But the biggest loser in this situation is the people of Kosovo, and we will pay the bill for these irresponsible politicians elected by the people of Kosovo,” he said.

Bajrami emphasized that overcoming the current situation is the shared responsibility of all political actors, regardless of the role they play on the political scene.

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Albania expressed serious concern following a statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who spoke about the possibility of diverting the flow of the Iber River and involving Serbian specialists and institutions in assessing this scenario.

Albania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, stressed in his response:

“The diversion of a river that is part of a transboundary river basin cannot be treated as an internal matter or a decision taken unilaterally, especially when its effects directly impact the land, ecosystem, water security, supply and livelihoods of the inhabitants of a neighboring country.”

He added that international water law establishes clear rules on this issue. The principles of equitable and reasonable use of waters crossing borders, the obligation to prevent, manage and reduce transboundary harm, as well as the need for cooperation, information exchange and consultations on measures with consequences beyond national territory, are now firmly established international norms. Hoxha recalled that Serbia has been a member of the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes since 2010, thereby accepting its mechanisms for resolving disputes as well.

Emphasizing Albania’s expectations, Minister Hoxha stressed that Belgrade must fully respect its international commitments and the spirit of good-neighborly relations.

In a post on the “X” platform, Hoxha stated that “any project or intervention that could alter the flow, quantity or purity of waters connected to Kosovo must be addressed transparently, based on scientific data, with a full assessment of the transboundary impact and following consultations with the affected party.”

He warned that water resources must not be turned into a means of political pressure or punishment against another state or population. Albania, he added, firmly supports Kosovo’s right to security, sustainable development and the protection of its water reserves. “We are deeply convinced, and expect, that such matters will be resolved through dialogue, cooperation and European standards, not through threats or unilateral interventions and actions,” Hoxha concluded.

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The acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, described the abandonment of the justice system by former Serbian judges and prosecutors as a well-planned political move.

During a government meeting, Kurti stressed that the mass withdrawal at the end of 2022 marked the beginning of a chain of sabotaging acts against the state. He recalled that at the time he had appealed to Serbs not to abandon their posts, but clarified that he could not ask them to return afterwards. “We had no right to tell them ‘come back,’ because that contradicts the constitutional and legal framework. While the appeal not to leave was politically legitimate, an invitation to return is not within our competence,” he declared.

The acting head of the executive emphasized that such a return would be impossible, as they themselves undermined the country’s legal and constitutional foundation through their act of departure.

Kurti added that the security and justice institutions have already addressed the matter. “The Kosovo Police handled these resignations earlier, and recently the Prosecutorial Council also took steps. Today we expected the Judicial Council to follow the same path, but the meeting failed due to lack of quorum,” he stated, expressing his expectation that the issue will reach its conclusion in the next session.

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Most of these political entities belong to communities.

The highest result among them was recorded by the Turkish party Kosova Demokratik Turk Partisi – KDTP, which received 5,709 votes, or 0.70 percent of the total number.

On the other hand, the weakest performance in these elections was by independent candidate Esmir Kasi. According to the results certified by the CEC on Wednesday, he secured 0.03 percent of the vote, or 268 votes.

Second from last in terms of results was KNRP, with 0.04 percent of the vote, meaning it received the support of only 355 citizens of Kosovo.

A total of 21 political entities competed in the October 7 elections. The threshold for entering the Assembly was 5 percent of the total vote, and only five political entities surpassed this level – the Serb List, the Alliance, the LDK, the PDK and the Vetëvendosje Movement.

However, the parliament will also include 11 MPs from entities that did not pass the threshold and remained below 1 percent of the total vote. They secure seats in the Assembly thanks to the constitutional “guarantees” that the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo grants to communities. According to it, 10 seats in parliament belong “in any case” to representatives of the Serb community, while another 10 go to representatives of the country’s other ethnic communities.

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