Hoti Government, second in greater number of deputy ministers and slaves

The lack of this law causes the future government, which will emerge from early elections, to be able to have many ministers and deputy ministers, says Arberet Loxha, director of the Group for Jury and Political Studies.

This bill had been initiated since 2018 by the then-led government of Ramush Haradinaj, which had the largest number of ministries since post-war, with 21 ministries, five deputy prime ministers and more than 80 deputy ministers.

Meanwhile, in August of this year, the government of Kosovo, led by Avdullah Hoti, had finalised the draft bill for the government, but as such was sent to the Venice Commission to get interpretation from this commission on constitutionality.

“We have directly communicated with the Venice Commission and have managed to make sure that at the October session we will have an answer from this” commission, Tahiri had said at a government meeting held in August.

Radio Free Europe has proven to receive answers from the Government of Kosovo even from incumbent Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Tahiri, about these recommendations the Venice Commission may have given, but until the publication of this text has received no response.

The Government Bill, which is published on its website, has also seen no more than three deputy prime ministers, and no more than fifteen ministries except that with the mandate proposal for forming the Government, two additional ministries could be proposed.

With this bill, the prime minister will also be able to appoint up to forty deputy ministers.

Following the Constitutional Court ruling, which considered the election of the government led by Avdullah Hoti unconstitutional, the country goes to early elections.

The Kosovo government, led by former Prime Minister Albin Kurti, had 15 ministries, two deputy prime ministers, while in its composition, the government had no more than 33 deputy ministers.

The incumbent Kosovo government led by Avdullah Hoti numbers 16 ministries, four deputy prime ministers and more than 45 deputy ministers. All these government officials have employees of many of their political advisers, drivers, and other employees.

From the Group for Jury and Political Studies (GLPS), they say they have backed this bill and pushed ahead the need for Kosovo to have such a law.

Arbarer Loja, director, says they have done so, as she says, abuses in the large number of ministers and deputy ministers that have been done by past governments.

In spite of the fact that in the government led by Vetevendosje and the Democratic League of Kosovo with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the number of ministers and deputy ministers had been reduced, the same went back to the Hoti Government, which was the second government in the largest number of deputy ministers and slaves”, Loxha says.

In view of this, Loja says the Law for Government is necessary in Kosovo, but that, according to her, such a thing is being neglected.

“has again been inclined to abuse the size of the government and has not been a priority for governments to address these problems related to size and other aspects related to the accountability and privileges of the government cabinet for this reason, and this law” has been passed without approval, she says.

The large number, in particular of deputy ministers, has usually been criticised by civil society.

In opinion, there is often a dilemma about what all these deputy ministers can work on, considering that even countries with a population far greater than Kosovo do not have so many employees in sub-ministerial positions.

The large number of ministers and deputy ministers is seen as a major cost to the state budget.

The Kosovo prime minister's salary is around 1,500 euros. Ministers in Kosovo receive a salary of about 1,300 euros, while a deputy minister is paid about 1,200 euros.

These salaries do not include other expenses as they are; advisers, cars, drivers, administrative assistants, telephones, and many other expenses.