Presidential Benefcy Becomes Eternal

The new bill removes the 5-year restriction for election, and if this law passes into the Kosovo Assembly, then the president's benefits are in unlimited time. Under this bill the former president benefits an office, driver, bodyguard and assistant.

Commission for Legissation Chairman Albulen Haxhiu has voted against this bill, saying the time has come to assess all privileges for the president and other senior officials.

I've also objected in principle when we've considered it, as I believe the time has come when we should value all these privileges for the president, the president of the Parliament, the prime minister, the chairman of the Constitutional Court, the chief state prosecutor. Because they're really confused with the circumstances we have today and therefore, I've rejected it, I continue with the same approach because I think it's not right that such privileges have not even been justified at least”, she said.

The member of Vetevendosje Sami Kurteshi has also voted against the bill, while support has been obtained from other members of the commission.

LDK Commission member Arben Gashi said that compared to other members of the former institutions, former presidents have been mistreated.

“Bennefitions or a working comfort for senior state officials I think even the president or president after the end of the term must have a job convenience, there should be a place where the mail will come, orders and deal with certain issues. In comparison to other high-level Kosovo institutions have been maltreated, since we do not have a law regulating the whole hierarchy of former senior state officials who may have certain benefits from the system for a certain period I think should be supported and must pass”, he said.

This bill has been supported by the other member of this commission, Korab Sejdiu, at least until there is a legislation that addresses the hierarchy.

<x) Since we have functionaries with far lower state functions, which have many benefits, then it is unfair to deny even former presidents. So, I support this amendment, a way like a temporary overcoming of the situation until we have a legislation in power, which generally addresses the hierarchy”, Sejdiu said.

While member of Vetevendosje Sami Kurteshi said there is a phenomenon of personalising laws in Kosovo on the basis of political power.

“With the pay which the prime minister has appointed, where he sees it in relation to the president, with the Speaker of the Parliament, with the Supreme Court's chairman of the highly fair law Ramush Haradinaj, his 1,000 and 300 euros' salary -- two thousand and 500 of the Parliament's president -- there is no resolution. The way he has done this is completely illegal, he has had the case under the dam, that the volume of a prime minister's work is much greater than the volume of a Parliament Speaker's work even than the president. And it's been far away with the least pay, so I'm saying the laws are being personalized based on the political power that's very unfair”, he said.

The Commission for Legissation, Mandate, Immune, Framework Law, and the supervision of the Anti-Corruption Agency has also approved the Commission's annual work report on 2017.

Also, the replacement of a member of the Crime Victims Compensation Commission has been made, where all members have been entitled to be Sami Kurteshi.

Public listening to Bills No. 05 L-145 for completing and changing Law No. 2004/26 for heritage in Kosovo, Bill No. 06/L-010 for Noteria and Bill on Change and Complete Law No. 03 L-007 for non-controversial procedure, where public hearing will be held on January 24th at 11.00. /Periscopi/