2020: Pandemia, Special Court and Major Elections

COMM SOVA AND PANDMIAH COVID-19

At the end of 2019, Kosovo citizens were facing citizens of a province in China. But only two months later, the virus was no longer remote.

On March 13 the first cases of the affected were confirmed, and this was the beginning of a long year, whose heading was COVID-19.

On March 15th, the government declared the state of public health emergency, while on March 23rd the country's complete closure, in a decision that sparked clashes within the coalition of Vetevendosje and Democratic League itself, as well as then Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and now former President Hashim Thaci.

The government's decision today is completely unconstitutional. Citizens are not obliged to respect unconstitutional decisions, and no one can condemn them for this, neither the Kosovo police nor the security bodies should implement this anti-unconstitutional decision by the government because they themselves will do criminal work”, Thaci said.

So, a person who has no authorization to speak like this, nor is it the power to implement what he says practically attacks constitutional order, calling police and security organs, but as you have seen yesterday none of the police forces followed President”, former Prime Minister Kurti said now.

Measures for preventing infection were reflected in Kosovo's equally serious economic situation, and the hit sectors were rarely thrown into protests, calling for easing measures and other ways to overcome the situation.

The Central Bank as well as international financial institutions predicted a 7.2 per cent decline in Kosovo's economy due to the situation created with restrictions on preventing spread of infection.

It took months for political forces instead to agree on a package of economic recovery, which was approved in early December.

The summer season marked a decline in the number of people affected, while autumn coincided with a new wave of infection.

Kosovo expects to receive 20 percent vaccines from the World Health Organization programme, COVAX, meanwhile, will buy the rest itself.

The World Health Organization emergency official, Isme Humolli, says the vaccine process cannot begin before springtime.

“We are hoping as O By mid-March, eventually early April. The value of early beginnings is not given to the small amount of vaccines that are in production and the enormous demands that are in the world over”, Humolli said.

Pandemia left behind many consequences, while unable to avoid the vortex of political crises in Kosovo.

CRI POLITIC BOY IN PANDMIAE TIME

On February 3rd, Kosovo's 66th parliament approved the coalition government between the Vetevendosje movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo with Prime Minister Albin Kurtin, chairman of the Vetevendosje movement, which came first in the October 6th 19 early parliamentary elections.

He said the world that foreign security will be the government's priority together with preparations for NATO membership, as well as the fight against corruption and reforming the justice system. He said his government would adopt the war crimes law and genocide and prepare indictments against Serbia at the International Court of Justice for War Crimes, while in talks with Serbia it would include the issue of missing persons, war damages, the legacy of the former Yugoslavia and mutual recognition.

“With Serbia we will return full trade, political and economic reciprocity. I am ready to lead the upcoming talks with Serbia, I will have a comprehensive team for talks in the political, ethnic, social and professional sense”, Kurti said.

The then opposition criticised Kurt's government programme and composition, emphasising on the political attitudes of the past.

But, by today, Albin and all of you, we will not be silent. Not only will you be held responsible, but your party and government register, from now on, how you will behave, will not be silenced. And exactly today I ask you to tell the citizens of Kosovo what do you have this government for? With this makeup? Do you want to fight Serbia with this government or us through the Special Court, because you and half of your cabinet of ministers whom you proposed have asked for prison for Kosovo rescuers”, Democratic Party of Kosovo chairman Kadri Veselin said.

“Mandari specifically has a lot of work, unlike past mandaters for the fact that the current mandate was not just an opposition, has been more than the opposition. Our mentor in the past has not spared the operation and language of opposition has gone to divisions, divisions and hatred. It's normal to be opposition, but I have to preserve the minimum communication”, Social Democrat Initiative Chairman Fatmir Limaj said.

Kurti's government would soon become the shortest-lived government in post-war Kosovo. Facing the pandemic of COVID-19 and differences over the institutions' approach to it became a cause of political war.

On March 18th, Kurti fired Interior Minister Agim Veliu from the ranks of the Democratic League of Kosovo due to disagreements about declaring the state of emergency, which President Hashim Thaci was seeking, but without the prime minister's reconciliation. By that day Kosovo had confirmed 19 cases of Coronavirus affected.

His dismissal became the cause for the Democratic League of Kosovo to launch a no-confidence motion, which was adopted on March 25th.

Kosovo's “government came to power with confidence for change, for a new moment in aspects of the country's economic development, rule of law, the fight against corruption and the consolidation of Kosovo's international subjective, while Prime Minister Kurti for less than 50 days of work, through inaction and unconstructive positioning in relation to partners in general and in particular in the United States, has managed to function the government”, the chairman of the Democratic League Parliamentary Group said.

Kurti, said the collapse of the government concerns deals between the president of Kosovo and Serbia.

This presidential trade requires the collapse of the government. The Presidential Bazaar with this government led by me is not, it's done. He tried to declare the state of emergency, why did he not declare it? She went to White House to make deals, why didn't she? With me prime minister in this government, the state of emergency is not declared until the state of emergency is created, and there is no agreement in the White House, neither green nor red for territorial exchange between Kosovo and Serbia. So the rear engine of this job is like leaving this government, how to move on so as to pave the way for the announcement of the state of emergency but also that deal ready for territorial exchange”, Kurti, said.

The Vetevendosje movement then called for the country to go to new elections, while other parties agreed on creating a new government and avoiding elections in time of pandemic.

On 30 April, Thaci announced the decree he proposed to the Kosovo Parliament, Avdullah Hotin, by the Democratic League for forming Kosovo's new government.

In the next few days, another new government can be voted into the Kosovo Assembly, again in full compliance with the Constitution of Kosovo and the democratic order of our Republic, taking into account the clear legitimacy of Kosovo's Parliament deputies and the pledge that was witnessed today by the new parliamentary majority”, Thaci said.

The Vetevendosje movement sent the president's decree to the Constitutional Court, accusing him of violating the Kosovo Constitution.

On May 29th, the Constitutional Court gave justice to the president's decree, and on June 3rd, Parliament approved by 61 the composition of the new coalition government of the Democratic League, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, the Social Democrat Initiative and minority parties with Prime Minister Avdullah Hotin, who declared the priority of his government facing the pandemic, economic recovery and renewed relations with the United States and other Western allies.

The comprehensive agreement between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia will be based on mutual recognition between these two states. Thus will ensure Kosovo's long-term stabilisation, UN membership will be possible and integration processes in the north-Atlantic alliance and in the EU will be guaranteed. This dialogue calls for a full co-ordination between the country's institutions, as well as a broader political unity in the country where the role of the parliamentary opposition is inevitable. In the dialogue we must all be together because the successful outcome is in the interest of the entire political scene and Kosovo citizens”, Prime Minister Hoti said.

You've got your intentions shallow but dangerous, simple but bad. You want to take advantage of a serious situation for Kosovo, to rob power without victory and election, as you won from the pandemic to bring the government into no-confidence motion. You've perfected it now with the trade of profit from situations. Aren't you some who have never won elections but have always benefited from the victories of others?”, said the chairman of the Vetevendosje Movement Parliamentary Group, Rexhep Selimi.

J POSACHME YCTATHA AND AUCLES E PUBLISHERS HAPPINESS CRIME

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was on his way to the United States on 24 June to attend a meeting at the White House with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vucic.

His trip was interrupted by the announcement that the specialised prosecution had filed an unconfirmed charge against him and other leaders of the former Kosovo Liberation Army for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

I won't face this office with justice. If the indictment is confirmed I will immediately resign as your president and face charges”, Thaci said.

From July 13th to 16th, he was questioned by prosecutors in The Hague and became one of the more than 200 former Kosovo Liberation Army members interviewed since January 2019.

The Special Court, which by the name of specialised chambers operates in The Hague, was approved early August 2015 by the Kosovo Parliament, as its establishment followed investigations into Council of Europe's alleged envoy Dick Marty for the involvement of some of the former leaders of the Liberation Army in war crimes and postwar Kosovo.

In early November, a court of preliminary procedure in The Hague confirmed war crimes charges against President Thaci, Democratic Party of Kosovo Chairman Kadri Veselini, National Council of Social Democrat Initiative Chairman Jakup Krasniqi and the head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group Rexhep Selimi.

So, as I promised, I will not allow the president of the Republic of Kosovo to appear before the trial. Therefore, to protect the integrity of the presidency of the Republic of Kosovo, the integrity of the state of Kosovo, the integrity and dignity of the Kosovo citizen, the people of Kosovo, with respect for even the partnership with the international community, I now resign from the position of president of the Republic of Kosovo”, President Thaci said before leaving for The Hague.

The four former senior leaders of the Liberation Army are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, for acts of persecution and imprisonment respectively, arbitrary ban, other inhumane acts, cruel treatment, torture, murder, unlawful murder and forced disappearance of persons.

One after another in the appearance before the court they rejected these charges.

Innocent has also been voiced by Sali Mustafa, a former member of the Liberation Army, who was arrested on September 24th under war crimes allegations, becoming the first arrested since the founding of the Special Court. The prosecution charges him with arbitrary acts, cruel treatment, torture and unlawful murder.

Two former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army Veterans' Organisation, Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj, are also on charges of “criminal acts against justice administration”.

Both were arrested on September 25th after the War Veterans' Organisation on three occasions during that month said it received thousands of files from unknown people of the Special Court, testifying to its co-operation with Belgrade authorities and reportedly its unilateral character.

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Arrests by the Specialised Chambers created a new political situation in Kosovo, prompting debate on whether the country will become with new president, or hold early parliamentary elections.

On December 21st, the Constitutional Court ended the dilemmas. It nullified the Kosovo government's vote led by Avdullah Hoti, while determining that new parliamentary elections should be held no longer than 40 days from the date of their proclamation.

The new elections will be third within four years in Kosovo, where since declaring independence no government has reached its mandate.