Wessel wants the investigative commission for veterans' lists: Deceptions end

“The Parliamentary Investigative Commission, with its work, must ensure that veterans' lists are cleared of fraud, so that KLA fighters who need more and more support from their country, for which they fought and were willing to sacrifice themselves. This Commission's final report will become public, based on law, will be available to the public and justice institutions to prosecute fraud”, Wessel said at a media conference in the PDK.

Along with the investigative Commission, he said he would also initiate needed changes to the current Law for KLA War Veterans, with the best practices of their integration in contributing developmental engagement.

Kadri Wessel's full speech:

Hello, everyone.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo is in the phase of developing vision for the second decade of our citizenship that the country will bring great transformation and citizens the chance for more rights and responsibility.

The New Decade is a platform for a strong economic and legal state.

For a safe place.

For a better life.

The vision of honest people is the priority Kosovo requires and will achieve.

The institutional education of certain issues from the past, which are public concerns, is part of our national commitment to promote today's and future challenges.

Nobody's right to distract the focus of the digital age generation with causes of peace.

As democratic society and as a rule of law, we need to show that we can address any public concern, that we can answer any challenges that are brought against us, and that justice and the equal law will be above all.

When three years ago I launched the initiative to expel usurpers from public property, you remember, in opinion there was doubt that such a thing could happen after 15 years of usurpation.

It happened, and they left. The rule of law obeyed all and saw justice equal to all.

The same will happen to some initiatives that the PDK will take on, which, I assure you, will go to the end.

Citizens will see concrete results.

My whole goal is clear: public concerns will be addressed and resolved one by one.

Weeks ago, I have taken the initiative to establish the International Tribunal for Serbian genocide in Kosovo.

This initiative, already in the Kosovo Assembly, of all parliamentary groups, has taken the right lead.

This Tribunal is inevitable and it will happen.

Next week, The PDK will launch another legitimate initiative, in the continuation of addressing public concerns: the status of war veterans, of whom there are doubts that they are divided without merit.

Most of the war commanders have spoken and expressed their serious concerns on the issue.

Today I am here to preserve the real name and reputation of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

The nickname of the KLA, freedom fighters, often because of some who are aiming for personal benefits, has hurt us all.

Not rarely have freedom fighters been offended.

For us, whether abuse of the status of a freedom fighter or resentment is grave and hard to accept.

My anger, which stems from the involvement of frauds in veterans' lists made by some abusive commanders, is why it makes me talk and act.

We must accept the fact that not a few people at high levels, even from the former KLA, for many years have abused and abused their power.

This must be over.

These people have largely damaged the KLA's reputation, have led many people to think that true KLA fighters have done what they have done in order to benefit.

That's not true!

It is as false as those thousands of frauds who appear to be veterans.

As one of the KLA founders, I cannot remain indifferent to the frauds that occur in the name of the KLA.

Therefore, through the PDK Parliamentary Group, next week I will initiate the creation of a Parliamentary Investigative Commission that will investigate allegations of fraud on veterans' lists.

The old government commission, as well as the new one, will be invited by this Parliamentary Investigative Commission.

veterans' lists, admission data, or the resulting rejection of requests for veteran status, the selection criteria, as well as the number of soldiers and commanders in the entity and operational zone will be required.

Evidence, collected evidence and individuals will be required, in the same entities, as will the confrontation of traditional veterans' lists from the KLA OVL and whatever the air would follow.

With this initiative, honor and reputation will be maintained KLA and its soldiers.

This commission, with its work, will ensure that the Kosovo Republic budget will not be damaged by tens of millions of euros.

These are the money of Kosovo citizens, which should not be spent on fraud.

Let's not forget another painful fact about veterans.

If this deceptive trend continues and is accepted, the greatest harm will be done to KLA veterans themselves. Because, with the Law adopted in the Kosovo Assembly, it is estimated that the financial amount for support of veterans will never exceed over 0.7% of BPV.

Currently, it has exceeded nearly 35m euros.

In financial benefits figures, with the entry into force of this law, if the lists continue to be absorbed by frauds, then for each veteran benefits drop by about 40% of the current income.

And if the trend of fraud continues further, with this artificial increase, either the veterans can collapse, because of stoppages imposed by the affordable budgetary burden, or the state of Kosovo can financially collapse.

On the fraud list, there are suspicions that there are people who have handed over weapons to the Serbian police, or even were local police officers in the years, today, by fraud, enjoying veteran status.

Therefore, the Parliamentary Investigative Commission, with its work, must ensure that veterans' lists are cleared of fraud, so that KLA fighters who need even more and more support from their country, for which they fought and were willing to sacrifice themselves.

This Commission's final report will be made public, based on law, will be available to the public and justice institutions to prosecute frauds.

Besides the Commission, we will also initiate relevant changes to the current Law for KLA War Veterans, with the best practices of their integration in contributing developmental engagement.

The rights, privileges and responsibilities of the KLA war veteran will be specified and stressed.

We will also promote the KLA War Values Protection Law to give KLA fighters the institutional respect they should have.

In this way veteran values will be better protected.

The veterans' insurance scheme cannot turn freedom fighters into social schemes.

I call on fellow fighters not to accept this.

More is required. Because, they can contribute to Kosovo's development, not to consider its burden.

There's no reason veterans who can work can't do that.

We need to provide them with tools and opportunities, instead of just giving them social benefits and avoiding contributions to developed and legal states.

I am taking this initiative in honor of those who have fallen and for the dignity and respect of friends who have risked their lives during the war in Kosovo, my fellow KLA veterans.

No one can cheat on what we have done and on what we have been through.

Also, the initiative is being undertaken by Kosovo citizens, who honestly fill Kosovo's budget with their contributions.

Children and Kosovo's future.

I expect everyone's support.

The 20th anniversary of liberation.