Who rent political parties in Kosovo

Some of the largest political parties in Kosovo since their formation have been placed in objects of social companies or private buildings in downtown Pristina. For a long time of their activity, it has not been made clear to whom they paid their rent if they paid at all.

Four political parties are cited in this research, for whose headquarters Radio Free Europe reported earlier.

Kosovo, is located in the “Mother Teresa” Square in downtown Pristina. This party was founded in 1999, shortly after the end of the recent war in Kosovo.

Basri Musmati, secretary at the Democratic Party of Kosovo, tells Free Europe Radio that there is no information if this party has paid someone rent until 2011.

The object this political subject uses, according to the Kosovo Privatisation Agency, has been owned by Social Company “Drithnaja”.

The company is privatised in the 44th wave of privatisation, specifically in early 2011, at a value of 371 thousand euros, from Burim Marmulaku.

This year also begins the payment of rent. However, the facility does not find registered in Pristina's municipality cadastral records on behalf of the new owner.

“Objekt, where the PDK headquarters is located in Mother Teresa Square, is identified with the 2,827 square m cadastral parcel, owned by the company for the production of Drithnaja, the property share of 1074 and the Kosovo Economic Oda Pristina Oda , the property share 3#4x1>, is said in a written response by Pristina municipality officials to Radio Free Europe.

After the privatisation process in 2011, the Democratic Party of Kosovo has signed contracts to two owners, says Mr. Musmati.

“We have two owners to pay their rent to. One is paid 2,890 euros a month, while the other is about 1,600 euros a month”, Musmati said, adding that one is Mr. Marmulaku, while the other is Rexhep Avdiu. The latter is owner of a space where the Kosovo Economic Oda is located, within the PDK headquarters.

Mr. Marmulaku has refused to talk about Radio Free Europe, and Avdiu with all his efforts has been unable to contract.

The main ely of the other party, the Democratic League of Kosovo, is located at the Qaeda complex on the KLA Street in Pristina.

Lutfi Zharku, a member of the leadership of the Democratic League of Kosovo, says the object in which the LDK operates is purchased before the war in Kosovo and that it is the property of the LDK.

But neither the “object on behalf of the LDK is found registered in the Pristina municipality's cadastral registers”, said in an answer to this municipality's information office.

The Democratic League of Kosovo has not responded to Radio Free Europe's request to explain the reason for non-registering in cadastral books.

AAK

Even the question of ownership of headquarters where the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo exercises political activity raises several questions. In the cadastral records, this property is identified on behalf of the Institute for Scientific Research in Agriculture.

This facility is located on “Witnesses of the Nation” in Pristina.

The Agricultural Institute, operates within the Kosovo Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The director of this Fehmi Geci Institute said via email to Radio Free Europe that AAK signed the contract to the Institute on 11,04 2018 and Paying rent Months of 2,450 euros per month or 2.5 euros per square metre.

The operating area, according to Gecit, is about 980 m2.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development has linked contracts for granting political party exploitation, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo AAK. The monthly cost of the rent is 2,450 euros, while the annual rent is 29,400 euros”, Geci has said.

The AAK as a political party was founded in May 2000 for 18 years there has been no regular contract with the Agricultural Institute.

Lulzim Leci, secretary in the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, confirms to Radio Free Europe that they are regular in paying off the monthly rent since the contract link in April this year.

The other parliamentary party, the Vetevendosje Movement, whose headquarters is located on Kassem Hadzimura Street in the neighbourhood of Arberia in Pristina, is private property. Bekim Gashi, director of the Finance Secretariat at this party, has said via email to Radio Free Europe that the object in which Vetevendosje is owned private and the gross monthly rent is 1,923 euros.

Pristina municipality officials have confirmed to Radio Free Europe that the object where the Self-Determination Movement headquarters is located, “is owned privately, with a total of 508 square metres”. The owner's name, meanwhile, has not been published by municipal officials and those of the Vetevendosje Movement.

Financial Reports

Referring to the early post-war years, Arton Demhaya director of the non-governmental organisation “Arise”, says political parties should give an explanation why they haven't paid rent for so many years, despite now starting to pay.

This is not proper from the past, and political parties are still obliged today to show what happened, why they haven't paid rent”, says Mr. Demhasaj.

Transparency About Political party financing and spending It has been and remains one of Kosovo's continuing impasses, which has been recorded nearly in all European Commission progress reports.

Political parties reportedly make much greater financial expenditures, compared to the means they are separated from Kosovo's budget.

A year, political parties, which are represented in the Kosovo Assembly from Kosovo's budget, split more than 4m euros.

This amount was later divided on the basis of representation of the number of seats won in the Assembly for a mandate.

In fact, according to the Law on Financing Political Subjects, parties are obliged to publish each year Annual Financial ReportIt shows all the incomes and expense of the party.

The latest financial reports of the Democratic League of Kosovo, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, and the Vetevendosje Movement are in 2016. Until the Democratic Party of Kosovo Web site finds no financial report.