These are the AGK chairman candidates

The AGK leadership candidate has so far made three journalists public:

Alban Selimi from Kosovo Radio Television, Gailana Begolli, as well as from Kosovo Radio Television, as well as Fitim Gashi from Koha Ditore.

All three candidates have already made their candidacy public and have shown the reasons for their candidacy.

Alban Selimi, through a writing on his Facebook account, has said that his candidacy comes after a long work experience he has and being in the skin of each journalist.

After a job and the unique commitment of former members of the AGK Board, their resignation's move to pave the way for creating quorums for the legal election of the speaker and new members, shows once again that journalists make the difference between their own and general good. Being in everyone's skin, as a candidate for AGK chairman, I thank all former members of the Board, who opened the way to this important process at a moment of reforms at AGK, for which they will lead to merit”, Selimi has since mentioned five points which he intends to implement through the position of AGK chairman.

“These tasks stem from our daily difficulties and challenges to each of us. So, with your trust as AGK chairman, it's one. To combat any injustice and violation of journalists' work rights within media homes indiscriminately; 2. I will be knocking down at all Kosovo institutions' information offices mainly in central ones, not excluding even local ones to meet the responsibilities of these offices, where, in the presence of their superiors, I will ask that these offices no longer be a neutral mechanism for journalists, but that the same should be in the service of journalists, offering them an easy and comprehensive approach to receiving answers; 3. Among the biggest challenges of journalists today remains access to official documents, so I will constantly engage and be your strong voice so that these requirements will be implemented by institutions as prescribed by law; 4. I'm going to try to increase transparency during the price sharing period for journalists, wherever involved is AGK. In this case, with the approval of the Board as well, the goal remains to have the monitoring presence of the media institutions themselves, he wrote, elaboring a little more of the fifth point.

According to him, after the AGK has already established co-operation with security and justice institutions such as Kosovo Police, State Prosecutor, the Judiciary Council and other relevant mechanisms as AGK chairman at the fifth point, it aims to deepen this co-operation.

“ ... and to consolidate more co-operation with these institutions, where any threats or attacks that could be done to journalists, the AGK led by me will be close to the relevant institutions so that we can have a quicker and more comprehensive treatment and response of attacks, threats or any other risk posed to journalists. Therefore, honored colleagues, with your support, all these goals will be feasible”, Selimi wrote.

Even Fitim Gashi from the Koha Group, and journalists covering policy issues in the newspaper Koha Ditore, has indicated his reasons for running for the chairman of the Kosovo Journalists' Association Board.

I decided to race after the proposal and support of colleagues within the company I currently work for the KOHA Group (Koha Ditore, KTV, Koha.net, Tv Arta), but also support colleagues from other media, with many of whom we have traveled together for 12 years. This will be a new challenge for me, one that I will not consider a privilege but a responsibility. It will be responsible for the fact that we work in a difficult environment where freedom of expression is not respected, where journalists are threatened, offended and blackmailed; they are not allowed access to information, and where power and politicians take legal initiatives, with the aim of disciplining and silenceing journalists and media”, Gashi said.

Pointing forward that the full programme with which he is seeking support from his colleagues will be presented Tuesday during the assembly for the election of board chairman and members.

Reporter Gentiana Begolli, meanwhile, did not want to talk much about the reason for the candidacy, because she said that “journalists, like no other community, are fed up by the words”.

And what and how many of us have worked, how we enjoy respect for our work done, what human and professional integrity we have, you know it best. So I invite you on July 31st to choose the representative you think you deserve. Thank you all for supporting me the first time that you'll be beside me even on July 31, ...To us good priests together”, she wrote on her Facebook profile.

Otherwise, AGK has been without board and board chairman since November last year, when President I at the time Shkelqim Hysenaj has resigned.

When we took over the refunction of AGK, we had only one folk (certifiation) available, while for a short time we were able to restore communication with donors and partners: local, regional and international. We became part of E The FJ, IFJ, the Regimental Network and, most importantly, was achieving normal communication and establishing new standards of co-operation, with the State Prosecutor, Court and Police of Kosovo, always aimed at increasing the level of security of journalists in the country”, had written Hysenaj at the time demanding that the AGK be supported further.

I want to ask all my colleagues journalists to always support AGK, not only when they need (it happens often), but even if they can make some professional contribution that could affect the improvement of the journalists' position, as well as increase the professional reporting standards in media”, he said.

Newly appointed AGK director Petrit Colak has told Kosovo that in addition to these terms that have been published, there may be new ones accepted on Election Assembly Day.

Anyone who assumes the post of board chairman will complete the mandate left in half by Hysenia for a year and a half. AGK chairman's mandate is three years old.