The most rented prime minister

Radio Free Europe: The head of the Kosovo Assembly has made a decision to hold the session on August 22nd to distribute the Assembly. There have been claims that by this date there may be a tendency to form a technical government. Would the PDK accept something like that?

Kadri Wessel: True, there have been offers to continue this mandate until 2021, with mandated prime minister from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, myself, there have been offers from parties that tend to talk about very early elections, respectively. But no, this will not happen for itself the fact that in the circumstances under which Kosovo is currently under, citizens deserve a government that would lead in a path of developing perspective, fighting corruption, these are the biggest priorities in Kosovo, employment and fighting corruption.

At the same time, when Kosovo is economically powerful, it can also face Serbia, at this very moment it needs civic legitimacy, every time we have doubts we have to look at citizens, this has been my decision, maybe someone has surprised, but I believe in citizens and we have to go to the elections, because these elections are also a kind of referendum on the way Kosovo will go in the next four years.

Radio Free Europe: What was the offer?

Kadri Wessel: It has been the offer, not only for us, respectively, that the Democratic Party of Kosovo for prime minister will be finished with me by 2021, concrete offers by political parties that today speak of red lines in elections only for the sake of a benefit in public opinion. I'm talking again, the moment there's dilemma, my biggest determination was to go to the elections. Every time we've asked the people we've done better and the moment you win this legitimacy you should then run the country.

“Two times we rented the prime minister”

Kadri Wessel: There's no compromise, for myself, that I'm speaking as chairman of PDK, twice we rented the prime minister, twice. People who do not have the trust of citizens have neither legitimacy, but neither responsibility, in the two cases we have failed, and that is, and this is a unique case for Kosovo itself to move forward. The PDK goes into elections with confidence in the will of citizens, no one dares violate the will or the interest of citizens, but it also goes with the belief to win and lead with the legitimacy that citizens give, in no other way.

Radio Free Europe: Mr. Wessel, these parties you mentioned, what are they?

Kadri Wessel: I won't specifically speak, but look at the last statements of yesterday's day when parties that have urgently called protests for early elections, we knew, I knew they were such parties that offered bids for co-governance until 2021, including Vetevendosje, and now we talk about a government that is technical. There is technical government, there are elections, no one should fear citizens because they are crucial to our mandate and for our political destiny and the future of Kosovo.

The elections are inevitable. I said from the first moment, they tried to manipulate this process, when they saw it now that there were choices, they had another option. There is no other option, there are only elections which are crucial, are referendums for Kosovo's future. Never more than these 3-4 years have been mentioned by political parties in Kosovo, Serbia, which we have defeated in 1999, we have removed from here. What is the interest, that through fear of Serbia, votes be won?

Citizens have some concerns, they are the main ones, people want employment and people want corrupt people to leave. I started doing this in PDK. I will do it all over Kosovo. As for the issue of confrontation with Serbia, there is no other option, we have a mandate that stems from Kosovo's freedom, from the KLA, anyone who intends to bargain and win votes (in error), Serbia is finished.

Serbia will never return to Kosovo, citizens do not need to fear Serbia, citizens need to be feared only by irresponsible people, corrupt people and economic development, these are orientations that we should have. As for confrontation with Serbia, we have a very clear platform, state sovereignty and integrity are incompatible, no one dares even mention Mitrovica in dialogue and let alone any manipulation. Mitrovica is holy, we go into electoral campaigns with projects which are economics.

Wessel: No Technical Government

Radio Free Europe: When are we in forming a technical or transitional government from which the idea came from the international factor or the internal one?

Kadri Wessel: The international factor has invested a lot in Kosovo, it's very uniquely the United States of America and our Western partners from Europe. Naturally, they have their own concerns, which have to do with fragmenting on Kosovo political scenes. They know what they say in their offices and what they say among the people. A part of the political class in Kosovo is thinking through manipulation and civic fear to build false quadu-kauz, either because of Serbia's fear that it will return to Kosovo's territory, whether it is Kurdish-caus that they will fight corruption and are not willing to do it.

The idea of calculations on behalf of Kosovo should be completed on behalf of Kosovo's large causes for electoral purposes. Citizens are noticing these political parties making red and white lines, making compromises and talking about patriotism, and on the other hand Kosovo is holy, the people of Kosovo need employment, economic development, fighting corruption and strengthening the state, the police, the military. These are achieved when there is strong economy and partnership.

Radio Free Europe: In past elections, you have given up nomination for prime minister, will you do so now?

Kadri Wessel: I think I was very precise. No more prime minister rent. There are no more manipulations of civic causes, only to survive politically. My life doesn't depend on politics for a second. My life depends on the honor, the work and my nation I belong to. I don't depend on a choice. I don't give a shit about a choice. But fraud, and those who think they cheat the citizen of Kosovo so easily and fear it, has come to an end.

There are no gestudo-caus, there are live causes of nation and citizen. It means, Kosovo is Western, Kosovo should be guided by economic development and remove false patriotism after 20 years. They put Kosovo between identity: Whether it's Kosovo or Albanian? You want a national flag, you want a state flag? Is it about national unity or the Republic of Kosovo? instead of: Are you pro-Albanian or pro-Serbian? Are you for Kosovo? And not for the National Union to become the cause, or if you are the pro-Serbian Republic of Kosovo. I am with the Republic of Kosovo, I am with the flag of the state of Kosovo. I'll protect it to the end in all of Kosovo's territory. And as an Albanian, I've shown it until June 12th 1999.

“was the irresponsible legislature”

Radio Free Europe: Of 144 laws, the Assembly has adopted only 18 percent of them. Was that a lazy legislature?

Kadri Wessel: It was not a lazy legislature, it was an irresponsible legislature. To be very direct, when an opposition, who only thinks about winning power... imagine now, for two years they've said to go to early elections, and last night you have the position that we make governments now. Where's the political morality here?

This has blocked Kosovo. It doesn't matter whether you're a position or an opposition, the laws that are in the service of the nation, in the service of the citizen, should be approved. That is the message that each of us should say. As for irresponsability that has happened these two years, I wish it never happened. But even one message, the political class, the ones we come up with in elections, are by - product of our voters' mentality. If they see that we are so easily deceived and manipulated, they will continue the same way and will only recycle it. Northern Macedonia has lost 20 years in the name-changing issue. So 20 years has been lost, it has been possible to be in the European Union, NATO, long ago.

Today we know where he is. We need to keep going. I am convinced that my orientation is the interest of even this nation, this state and our citizens. It is orientation in the fight against corruption, which must be eradicated, bad people must leave and give the perspective to good people even in employment so that people do not leave Kosovo.

Radio Free Europe: After the Constitutional Court ruling, who should lead talks with Serbia, the prime minister or the president?

Kadri Wessel: One who wins the mandate of citizens in elections who also turns out not to be a coward and not to calculate for his own interests. With days that the greatest interest is in Kosovo wherever you are, even if you are in the opposition, even if you are in prison it is not what today needs to be calculated in the individual's interest it needs to calculate the interest that our children earn. What heritage do we leave to our children... will we leave to something we've ever lived through when our parents didn't know what our destiny is? Or we'll leave our children a Kosovo which is safe, without taxation, but with clear Western orientation also.

Let someone forget if you think Kosovo can move forward as an isolated island. It's very important and that's strategic interest. Apart from the national vision and determination to preserve all the values we have, there is strategic wisdom close to the US and Western partners. That's how we won the war in the Kosovo Liberation Army. With determination. No compromise in the war, but also with strategic wisdom, making partners close to us even bomb Serbia rather than bring Serbia closer to Western partners and make a language against us.

“Corruption, main enemy in Kosovo”

Radio Free Europe: Were you satisfied with this current government? What went wrong?

Kadri Wessel: There have been some decisions that have been positive that have been able to walk. But, we've gone wrong [things] since the Persian causes started. We have spent a year who is dividing Kosovo and who is protecting Kosovo. Imagine in 2019, twenty years after the war, that someone was going to destroy it and that one of them was going to protect it. Kosovo can't be damaged, but it'll hurt who thinks.

So individuals, any governmental or institutional position, wherever they are. The citizens' people protect Kosovo, the blood of martyrs protects it. It is not easy, it is not a spoils of Kosovo to violate integrity, sovereignty. But more than that, we have been able to work economically. Corruption has not stopped. I have also asked the partners for opposition parties... come to make decisions that stop corruption because corruption is currently the main enemy in Kosovo. At least that's how people feel about corruption.

There are nepotism in all parties. Let's stop this and create mechanisms. It's possible to create the mechanism that stops these. We'll see if it's fate and it's the best thing for the nation to do after these choices and I'll win, win, win. The PDK and only with civic legitimacy will you see how these will stop; and corruption and party employment that we are calling nepotism. It is possible through accountability and transparency.

Radio Free Europe: But why aren't these phenomena stopped by the PDK?

Kadri Wessel: The mistakes the Democratic Party of Kosovo has made, I am saturating. We in the PDK talk openly about these issues, some voices may be against, I don't care at all. But other parties do not have the courage to say these even have to go on even harder. They also speak out by accusing him PDK.

No, no, look at the LDK, half the officials have municipals and party leadership with allegations of corruption. See Vetevendosje what it has done and what it is doing in Prizren and see even when it has been in Pristina for corruption and employment and nepotism. This is an infectious disease that must be stopped in Kosovo. I'm not talking about AAK at all and I'm not talking about other parties at all. So this is a rogue phenomenon that has to stop and stop.

Radio Free Europe: Will the invitation by the Special Court affect the way the future government will look?

Kadri Wessel: No influence in Kosovo will have any courts, because courts have to carry out their work, we will respect them. We will respect the will of the citizens, Kosovo's national cause has to move forward there are no obstacles and cannot be stopped. But we must also face claims that have tried to harm the state of Kosovo.

That's why we voted it out. We'll go all the way and hope no one has an indictment of crimes that are alleged. I'm pretty sure all KLA fighters will turn up white and prove innocent. There was no cleaner, more fair, principled war in a war organisation like the Kosovo Liberation Army.