Getting Election Day Agreement in Kosovo

In an interview for Periscope, Osman speaks of the expulsion of Turkish citizens, the arrest of Marko Djurici, the dismissal of the AKI director and Minister of Internal Affairs and other issues.

Below in full interviews:

Periscope: Mrs. Osmani, how did you comment on the recently created situation with the arrest of six Turkish citizens?

Vjosa Osmani: I think that this event is disturbing on two fundamental plains after Kosovo has generally ignored the international obligations it has received since its declaration of independence, but also its Constitution, making a series of treaties of international conventions directly applicable to Kosovo, in particular those that are in the field of human rights and on the second level because it shows an institutional redundancies so that how our institutions do not co-operate with each other nor do they function even with the security of foreigners, whether with the national security of Kosovo.

As for the first aspect of Kosovo and independence, since the 1990s, it has listed itself with pro-Western democracies and has taken over that even with its Constitution to apply the highest standards for human rights protection. Unfortunately, from what we have heard so far and I am waiting to be confirmed if in the extraordinary season, the deportation procedures of six Turkish citizens, Kosovo has not respected these human rights.

So, Kosovo rather than become an example and line up with countries with pro-Western democracy has done the opposite with these Turkish citizens. This is also disturbing in terms of incorrigible and inconsistencies within institutional. We have the prime minister and the prime minister who say they were not informed, because AKI is tasked on a daily basis to inform the prime minister, for any of their actions, we have the president who indirectly reasons such action. Now I think the best way to show Kosovo and its institutions seriousness in this respect and now only Parliament has remained to show seriousness, parliament must at tomorrow's session form the parliamentary investigative commission which will question all the acters who have been involved in this action, and if we have any claim that the president has been involved in this action then the president must go into Constitutional and assess his conditions.

The Assembly tomorrow should be extremely careful with the measures it should take.

Periscope: After that event, the prime minister has relieved the interior minister and the chief of AKI. How do you assess this decision against these developments?

Vjosa Osmani: Since Turkey is one of the states that has supported Kosovo in the statehood process, it is in the interest of both Kosovo and Turkey for our reports to be conducted on a normal basis, where neither state interferes with each other's internal affairs. Kosovo has independence without international supervision since 2012, it has its own laws. If Haradinaj has not done well, it is only parliament that can dismiss, as far as I have been informed of him, it has not been informed either by the AKI chief or by Haradinaj's interior minister, of the actions they are taking, but this does not absolve him, this shows Haradinaj is completely powerless in the coalition, where, whether the president or other acts within the coalition, they prepare for such an event that is quite disturbing.

If we react to Erdogan's statements, in proportion to Mr. Haradinaj, we are reacting to the independence of the prime minister's institution, but that does not mean Haradinaj is acquitted of the situation that has been created because he has only testified that we as LDK have said that there is no power within the government, and unfortunately that little power he has used only to exploit the Kosovo Assembly.

I hope that tomorrow his party deputies will support our demands.

Periscope: Before the event with Turkish citizens, we had another situation. Marco Djuric's arrest. Even there Prime Minister Haradinaj, did we get a little uninformed about the operation...?

Vjosa Osmani: This, of course, confirms what I said, Mr. Haradinaj only formally holds the post of prime minister, is all else who organizes and implements events in the country.

On the other hand, having a president who only produces the crisis is extremely dangerous for our country. If Mr. Thaci continues to produce a crisis after crisis, for his personal interests, I think that the number one priority of parties in the country, should be how to leave Hashim Thaci out of that position because regardless of who is prime minister tomorrow, he will still try to create such situations again in the future, where in co-operation with certain security institutions he organises activities without informing Government and without co-operating, it does not belong to a country president who should work for democratic functioning of institutions and not to work after institutions and produce a crisis that undermines Kosovo. We as LDK have welcomed the police action because they have done their job.

Periscope: After that, Serbian List came out of Haradinaj Government while we have a minority government to say so. The LDK, meanwhile, seeks a technical government that would follow early elections. Can you give us that request correct?

Vjosa Osmani: The LDK's basic request is a request for early elections, it's absurd to have a 50-number government and a prime minister who has no power within the current coalition and sometimes we have more information than the prime minister himself. The best would be if for the election date we had an agreement from parliamentary majority parties.

But this should be an effort for the election date to be set within a few months, so not after a year or two, but within a few months, and during these months for technical governments that you said, we can accept that we continue to lead the Hardinaj government.

Better yet to have an expert government, that does not mean that the LDK will enter the government, the LDK will be in the government by citizen vote. We've been talking about by experts from civil society who would deal with some important issues and handle election arrangements.

So I hope this technical government issue was clarified, our concern remains to organise elections.

We've been thinking about whether we expect to meet party bodies but during our discussions we've been thinking of sending technical experts so not representatives of parties you see for days.

Periscope: Other parties, especially The PDK and VV assess your application for elections as inconsistent?

Vjosa Osmani: But in the first place, having such an assessment by the PDK that today has a thesis in government and such appreciation by a man who is not informed of any of the developments in the country, I'm talking about Kadri Veseli, that's what I call unserious.

As for Vetevdence I haven't heard any excuses, why they think we can't sit together and set an election date. We have said that we want an agreement with opposition parties, to sit down and look at a month, May or June, but with the fact that they automatically rejected this requirement, they try to escape a responsibility, which I consider national, because LDK is the only party that is extending the hand of co-operation to get out of such a situation.

Periscope: During this period where we have had very dramic developments in the country, LDK chief Isa Mustafa stands for healing in Germany. What was your communication with him?

Vjosa Osmani: The party has worked through GP and leadership. It's not that there was a problem, and at any moment, but the members of Headship have also contacted the chairman to agree on important issues. It was the Special Court period, the demarcation and this last situation.

In the name of the GP has always contacted Mr. Avdullah Hoti, and besides he contacted the secretary, this has happened in our presence so that no misunderstanding could arise.

Periscope: If Mr. Mustafa can no longer exercise his post, will there be early elections within the party in the LDK, and in the end, will we see Vjosa Osman as the president of the Democratic League of Kosovo?

Vjosa Osmani: I believe President Mustafa will return to Kosovo in a few days and continue his duties. We have said even before his state of health and now say the LDK has a deadline for party elections, now we are preparing for early parliamentary elections. It would be too early for a process to talk about starting in a year. Next year there are new circumstances, new priorities, no priority on this issue. Priories now hold the LDK Group united and how to give its contribution to how the site defends Kosovo's citizenship and contributes to the Kosovo state being empowered within.