British help recruit professionals to 22 leadership positions

The Kosovo government and the U.K. Embassy in Kosovo have signed the agreement on continuing the draft draft in senior leadership positions in civil service and public enterprise boards.

The British Embassy in the next phase will assist Kosovo institutions in recruiting 22 people to top leadership positions in civilian service and boards of independent companies.

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj stressed that signing this agreement is the continuation of co-operation for empowering professionalism and accountability.

A total of 21 senior leadership positions realised through partnership with the British Embassy in the last two years have been chosen so far. Now we have agreed on the new list with a total of 22 positions to be realised for the period ahead. So we're lucky to have British expertise for many years. I also assure you partners that we are aware of the responsibilities we have in this process together”, Haradinaj said.

Haradinaj has assured that the executive will take into account the British Embassy's recommendations.

While the ambassador of Great Britain to Kosovo, Ruari O'Connell, has said the problem this project addresses is nepotism and the fact that non-professional people are placed in leadership positions that do not work in Kosovo's best interests, but turn it into the favour of groups or persons who have put it there.

“In such cases, professional individuals are lost, the institution is degraded, and Kosovo lags behind. In my address on the occasion of signing this project for the first time two years ago, imagine that Kosovo would send someone else to Olympic games, not the person to prepare Majlinda Kelmendi. The same applies to the top positions. This project ensures that only the most meritive people can cross the recruiting stages. The appointment is then made by the Government and the Parliament and remains completely in the discretion of Kosovo institutions. The success of this project will be a success of Kosovo, while the failure of this project will also be Kosovo's” failure, O'Connell said.

The British diplomat has also told of the earlier stages of this project and whether people have been elected on the basis of professionalism or political affiliation and through acquaintances.

“12 recruiting processes have resulted in the appointment of more meritier persons, 5 processes have ended well, but did not result in appointment, 1 concluded with partial more merit candidate and some others have not been meritive. But there are three more cases when individuals have been appointed who have not met the criteria contrary to recommendations for the most merit candidates and a process we have had on the list from which we are not required to withdraw. So the result is not perfect, but hand in heart is better than we originally thought. Hence, it is worth continuing with this challenge”, O'Connell said.

O'Connell added that it doesn't only mean that professional people are appointed, but they have to be given support in the work they do.

The British ambassador has stressed that they refuse to make decisions on behalf of Kosovo institutions, but they will go with a list, with names that have met the criteria, but that it is in the discretion of institutions to decide for the best people. /B. Syla/