Kadri Wessel: Kurt and Mustafa sé are looking beyond their armchairs

Former Speaker of the Parliament Kadri Wessel has said Kurt is unable to take responsibility for the country because he spent his entire political life being irresponsible to the state and nation.

And for Isa Mustaf, Wessel says he has taken his party hostage, or is a hostage to it, divided into factions of individuals struggling openly and secretly to occupy his throne, the throne of a party that now 16 years ago marched from one electoral defeat to another...

IndexOnline: It has been three months since holding elections, and Kosovo still does not have its new government. The two parties that have been expected to create the ruling coalition, the VV and the LDK, in the absence of agreement, have gone into trouble. How do you see this whole situation, though The PDK has mostly chosen to remain silent since the 6 October evening?

Kadri V ESEL: That evening of October 6th, as you know, I addressed citizens and all the political spectrum, accepting the election result, yet without being declared by competent state institutions. I did this for two reasons: The first, to respect the free will of citizens and the democratic standard of political accession of the outcome, even when it is not in line with expectations. The second, my address was to parties that came first in the elections to proceed with preparations for the constitutionalisation of new governing institutions as soon as possible.
You can't pretend to win democracy and not accept defeat when it happens. The peaceful routine of power is one of the most beautiful things of democracy.
But, since that day, the citizens of Kosovo, and I with them, have felt only the frustration and discovery of great fraud under the guise of great demagogic and populist promises.
And not only pre-election fraud, but also the great post-election fraud of VV and LDK, that for them principles and the governing programme matter, not posts.
In these three months, we saw that the opposite is true - for them, posts and markets are everything, whereas principles and the state are nothing! For them, personal accommodation in power chairs is primary interest, while civic and state interest is second and third.

IndexOnline: While the legal deadlines for the Government's Mandatar have not yet begun to flow, you see this procrastination of reaching agreement as normal in politics, or do you think the country is sinking into uncertainty?

Kadri V ESEL: The country is going through a delicate situation. We entered the new budget year, without the budget approved by the Assembly of Kosovo. We're moving quickly towards a situation where the state, in the absence of government, will not be able to pay for thousands of public sector workers, civil servants, educators, doctors, policemen, soldiers, professors and nursery tutors. Neither for pensioners nor for other social categories nor to proceed with implementing investment projects. All of this is because they do not look beyond their couches because these only one job can do - block everything and anyone who does not comply with their personal interests.
We have to act, not to further leave these irresponsibles further to further shame the state of Kosovo. If we do not act, we are inevitably part of their guilt.

IndexOnline: What are you implying by this <x0 action”?

Kadri V ESEL: Their failure to make Kosovo with Government should not become Kosovo's own failure. We should not allow their failure to turn in favour of Serbia's propaganda, which day and night does not stop acting to present Kosovo to the world as a failed state. We should not allow our country to become hopeless because of these armchairmen. Kosovo cannot wait for them indefinitely. If they do not believe in each other, let them speak directly to each other. The political fate of Albin Kurti and Isa Mustaf is not the fate of Kosovo.

IndexOnline: But citizens have chosen VV and LDK to govern the country. It's their destiny, it's the civic will that's trying to get into life...

Kadri V ESEL: Albin Kurti is unable to take responsibility for the country because his entire political life has been spent being irresponsible to the state and the nation. Government is creation, not destruction, and Kurt alone has this one special. Albin Kurti does not trust anyone and nobody does not believe; it propagans political attitudes, but neither goes to the end! Such will be his political end. Meanwhile, Isa Mustafa has taken his party hostage, or is hostage to it, divided into factions of individuals who struggle openly and secretly to occupy his throne, the throne of a party which now 16 years march from one electoral defeat to another.
Kosovo does not owe these personal interests. Their drama is not the drama of Kosovo. Kurti and Mustafa cannot hold Kosovo hostage.
This place has a choice. There is hope and future. There are wonderful people; people who gave what they had yesterday for freedom and independence and today are willing to act to prevent the state from falling into the polluted swamp of narrow party interests. There are wonderful friends, who were with us in the most difficult times for our nation, who are still in the challenges we are facing today as a new country. Disregarding and arrogance in relation to Kosovo's friends has damaged and continues to damage the greatest political capital our state has - partnership and friendship with Western countries, at the helm of the United States.

IndexOnline: Do you think the country should move towards new elections, if the VV and LDK fail to deal with forming the government? Is that the solution? Or can we see other turns?

Kadri V ESEL: The Kosovo government must be formed as soon as possible. You shouldn't waste any more time. If that doesn't happen soon, if Kurti and Mustafa don't end their shopping, then the only option we have ahead is early elections. Delays and blockades must be over. Their responsibilities must be faced with the people's verdict. After all, other democratic countries, such as Spain and Israel, have gone to several successive elections years, in conditions where victorious parties have been able to form a coalition government.
The Sovereign must decide when his representatives are unable to decide. This is the fundamental law of democracy, and we without delay must obey it. Otherwise, the consequences will be irreversible for citizens and the country.