In the institutions even people who are opposed to the law

The poor practice of having in the country's top institutions suspected individuals, accused or even with first-instance sentences for certain criminal acts, which perform public functions, is still continuing, assessing the connoisseurs of developments in the country.

According to them, political parties have not taken into account the suggestions and recommendations of non-governmental organisations and international representatives in the country, so that they do not include people who are in any way suspected, accused of having come against the law or who are convicted of it.

Albert Krasniqi, analyst from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, speaking of Radio Free Europe, expresses the opinion that electoral reform in Kosovo is necessary, to address many gaps, which, according to him, are in the Law for General Elections and other monitoring laws, as well as to ensure a quality of legislatures coming out of the elections.

“As for cleaning up lists from candidates who have had criminal acts in the past three years, there has been an interpretation of the Supreme Court, which has concluded that the law is contrary to the Constitution, although this has been outside the jurisdiction of this court to make the interpretation of the Constitution”.

The Constitutional Court is the one that would have to make such an assessment. This failure to implement these legal provisions on the part of the Central Election Commission has so far led to parliament's composition, which has emerged from the elections, to have candidates, who should not be represented there”, Krasniqi said.

That in the country's top institutions, there have been and continues to be alleged officials, with charges or even with first-instance sentences for criminal acts, says Betim Musliu of the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD). But, as he says of Radio Free Europe, removing these people is legally impossible, due to criminal justice standards.

This has happened in Kosovo and is happening. Unfortunately, through the legal basis, it is impossible for those with charges or who are convicted on the first scale to leave because there is a presumption of innocence, which cannot be violated because it is standard criminal justice. We as IKD have recommended that all of these persons who have deeds or are convicted on the first scale, the political parties themselves withdraw and clean up, provide examples of good governance and give hope to citizens”.

Appropriate thoughts are expressed by Krasniqi. But, according to him, a special law for political parties is needed, which could ensure a broader turnout of party members, but subjecting itself to internal party filters until it reaches their nomination for the Kosovo Assembly.

Krasniqi, the opinion that not rarely, the image of the Parliament and Government has been damaged because of official persons within these institutions, for whom there are fundamental doubts, charges or first degree sentences, due to the fall against the law.

If we had a system of justice, which would be of the highest integrity, the establishment of an indictment itself, it would have to be for the MP, in this case, to resign with automatism, in order to allow justice to be dealt with inexorably. But not having a fully independent and functional justice system, it is also enabling politicians not to feel the weight of public responsibility”.

All this situation, according to Musliu, also adversely affects the opinion and the voters themselves, who have given votes to political parties and their representatives.

This is a mirror, a very bad message for citizens, who, not only in selecting officials but also in selecting people's representatives, are turning out to be making choices of people who have problems with the law and who, in fact, are the worst mirror for the citizens themselves”.

However, the map and adoption of a code, which was introduced by Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, through which it was claimed to be prevented from participating in elections and working in state institutions of all those with open materials in the courts, was unable by early parliamentary elections, which were held on June 11, 2017. / REL/