Kosovo needs new party, upcoming elections must make change

The new party, which, according to Ymer, will have social democrat orientation, the goal of its commitment will have freedom and equality for all Kosovo citizens.

In an interview for Periscope, Ymer has spoken about the Declaration of Principles, the founding of the party, the name and options for the name, co-operation with other parties, as well as the political situation in Kosovo.

Below in full interviews:

Interviewed: Shpend Goodaqi

Periscope: Mr. Ymer, on Tuesday you published the party's Declaration of Parliaments that will be established soon. In general, what does a new party mean for the political scene in Kosovo?

Ymer: First, this statement that was published on Tuesday summed up all those conceptual and political beliefs that make us together, not only as the parliamentary group that we are in the Kosovo Assembly, but with all those other associates outside the Assembly, who find themselves in this statement. This statement is also the political wrapping of our currentity and will be the guide and political and programmative fundamental for our future political engagement, which will take the form of a political subject. I think that there is space and necessity in the Republic of Kosovo to have a political subject that supports, embraces and implements the genuine social democrat values. So, which sees a republic of Kosovo with integrated and dynamic societies, which in this Republic of Kosovo installs the economic and social system that meets the needs and interests of those who have little and many, and that reduces the gap and balances this injustice in the reshape of wealth, which we have seen deepen over the past 19 years, since Kosovo is free and 10 years of independence.

Periscope: Has there been opposition between your political group to achieving a compliance with the common values of the new party, since, as it is known, your political group also has people with different political views?

YmerThe discussion, however, has. Of course, all those personal beliefs that people have had to be discussed, about how we see it in the Republic of Kosovo. And, of course, we discussed the format and form of our political program that we would present our subject with. I consider that a republic of equal citizens, which we propose, is also a matter of the existence and empowerment of the Republic of Kosovo, but on the other hand, one that is not easily accessible, and in this direction our proposal, our finale how we see the society of the state, of course, should be discussed and agreed with all those who are currently within this declaration and all those who will embrace and support such a declaration. I consider that the discussion about it will continue, of course even in public space, because the state of equal citizens, so the Republic of equal citizens, is a concept which currently does not exist in Kosovo. Although formally we are the Republic of Citizens, but really with these ahtisarian divisions, it is more a Republic that accommodates within itself different ethnic, cultural and linguistic communities than equal citizens, and I consider that this is one of the most important progressive aspects, for how the Republic of Kosovo, is made by the formal republic in the real republic.

Periscope: There's nothing written on your political platform for national unity. Does this mean that people of the new party will not engage in that goal, as engaged when part of the Vetevendosje Movement?

Ymer: I think that when you carefully read this statement, it sums up both the principles and the values and the vows that we embrace. And, in the context of that, one of the most important values that starts at the top of the declaration is collective freedom and collective right of the people of Kosovo to determine their own destiny. I think that this covers the democratic aspect, necessary to be installed, with which citizens of the Republic of Kosovo collectively become part of decision-making on specific issues for the prosperity of the Republic. In this direction, I think it is necessary to say that the Republic of Kosovo, therefore, should enjoy the right to determine collective destiny itself. Meanwhile, for what this Republic will look like tomorrow and what this Republic will do tomorrow, this should be the citizens' decision, expressed in today's forms of modern democratic states, through referendum, and I cannot define any political party separate from the will of citizens. In this direction, we within our subject that we will establish, have people who think differently about the issue that you raised, but one thing that unites us all is that, however, the democratic decision, collectively, of the people of Kosovo, will be the final decision that the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, even on this issue, as are other issues of importance to the Republic of Kosovo. I consider that the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Albania have many things to advance and improve co-operation, and I think that cooperation between these two states would have to be the focus of co-operation and say, regional, because in this direction I think that not only in the economy, but not only in the economy, Kosovo and Albania have components, but also they have necessary co-operation, in order to together be empowered as market and economy and thus cope with economic hegemony, which comes from Serbia. I consider, this is not only aspirations for the future, but also necessarily economic and pragmatic, as well as for the will of citizens on both sides of the border.

Periscope: Has there been any discussion about the national union, whether to enter the Declaration of Parliament as a special point, as is the Vetevendosje Movement?

Ymer: We've discussed everything about the drafting of this statement and finally we've come out with this statement that we've all agreed on. Of course, in these ongoing discussions, we will also have detailed concrete issues, which are at the level of universalistic principles in the declaration. They will then be concreteized in the subject's political agenda.

Periscope: While we have a Declaration of Principles, the new party is still unnamed. Is there any reconciliation for her appointment, and what are the most controversial options for her name?

Ymer: There are some options we continue to discuss. As we said Tuesday, we have not been finally defined for one of the options. There are several options, but now I think we are ready for a decision on this issue and I believe that very soon, in the next week, we will have a final decision and of course that we will make it public as our definition of the political future.

Periscope: Are post-election alternatives discussed within your political group? With which parties do you have greater readiness to link coalitions and tell us if your party could have red lines for any of the parties?

Ymer: Of course, it is a question under discussion. What we should do first is structure and organise as political subject and, of course, party bodies will have these discussions, make those decisions. In practical terms, our up-to-date discussions, we have an compatibility for what Kosovo needs as institutional policy and Kosovo, as institutional policy, needs concretely concretely the political ideals, which we define as values. On the other hand, it needs a radical change in the approach that institutions have had so far, in terms of economic development, both social development and democracy in the country, rule of law, and so forth. And we are also aware that such a radical change in the approach of institutions lies with these important issues for the Republic of Kosovo cannot be achieved in any co-operation with any party. One of the problems we currently have in Kosovo and that is lasting, is also what has taken on the name capture of the state, and in which, of course, namely, the Democratic Party of Kosovo has been involved or better said people inside The PDK, and to achieve a release of institutions from this capture and to turn these institutions into the interests of the citizens of Kosovo, needs those who are both designers and leaders of capture not to have the power to maintain it. So this is a necessity of time for the Republic of Kosovo, and in this direction our subject thinks that in future co-operations, not to relax and talk about red lines, but rather to make public decisions about what Kosovo needs and therefore, how it can be achieved. In this regard, we make the assessment of political forces based on the programmes they have, but it was the commitment also based on their history of government.

Periscope: After split from Vetevendosje, have there been demands from other parties on your political group's merger in their parties?

Ymer: Yeah. There has been interest in other political subjects as well, but we have made it clear from the beginning, that we are leaving the Vetevendosje Movement not to go to another subject, from those who are in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, but to continue our political engagement according to our beliefs, which have remained steadfast. And, for our firm beliefs, it is that the Republic of Kosovo must necessarily be sovereignised and developed economically and decisions for this Republic, necessarily have to be popular, since the sovereignty of this republic stems from the people and, of course, on important issues that exceed the privacy and mandate of public institutions must be questioned by the people. On the other hand, especially on the economic and social plains, we have diametrically different differences with, almost all subjects, which are today in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, because we see state interest and aggregate wealth as something that needs to be dealt with differently from what we have seen so far.

Periscope: Will Shpend Ahmeti be chairman of the party, as MEP Besa Baftiu has said in a press campaign?

 Ymer: Of course, the Shpend is also in cooperation with us and supports and supports the Declaration of Principles as a founding declaration and our political concept, and of course, this must be decided regarding the president of the subject. It hasn't been decided yet, but everyone can be. Of course, even the Bird can be and without definition of it, I can't say it's going to be this or that, but nobody's out.

Periscope: Do you have official relations with the Vetevendosje Movement? Have you met with Vetevendosje Chairman Albin Kurti since his early several-month effort to keep Vetevendosje united?

YmerI haven't had a date with Mr. Kurt since. As for the relations we have now with the Parliamentary Group of Vetevendosje, of course some of their initiatives we have supported, we have supported them because we have agreed to the issue, to the content. I consider that there is a meaningless race, mostly promoted by the Vetevendosje Parliamentary Group. A race with other opposition subjects to get the primat nearly on each subject, and I believe in this is a political egocentism, which for me is unnecessary and meaningless.

Periscope: Do you believe Kosovo should go to the polls this year? Are you willing to vote the fall of Haradinaj Government?

Ymer: Beyond that, I think we need to discuss whether elections have the potential to produce something else, from what we have today in Government. Will this future government be better or worse, because we can say we don't know what the election outcome will be, but it's not that we don't have a kind of forecast on what it might be like. The second, I am absolutely opposed to the election agenda in the Republic of Kosovo to continue to define Serbia, that currently as the numbers in the Assembly are, if the Government were to fall by no-confidence motion, then this would have to be done necessarily in co-operation with the Serbian List that would also imply Belgrade's involvement in establishing this electoral date, which is unacceptable to me, since, of course, the Belgrade political agenda is in conflict with the political interest of the Republic of Kosovo.