IKD: Albin Kurti illegally cut wages

Today's decision by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to cut himself and the government cabinet, but not even judges and prosecutors is considered fair, but not legal.

Kurt took this decision during today's meeting of the Government of Kosovo.

Deputy executive director of the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD), Betim Musliu, though he considers the decision fair that with the government cabinet's salary cut not be affected by the salaries of the justice system, he says Kurti has made a decision that has no legal basis.

This is because the salaries of prosecutors and judges are equivalent to the positions of the highest state carriers.

He said that as a civil society has called on the government Kurti to reconsider, but that as far as annuling or abolishing decisions should come on the basis of any action in the law.

The same is now in the case of lowering salaries by the Kurti government illegally. This government decision by Kurti to cut salaries I consider to be right, but there is no legal basis since the Law for Court and State Prosecutor now clearly stipulates that the salaries of judges and prosecutors are equivalent to the positions of top state carriers. And since these have been reduced then there is no logic that the same ones continue to be adults for judges and prosecutors. Even though we support what will form the increase in the salaries of the judge and prosecutors, this decision presents simply violations of the law, and what we've been extending is that all those decisions that we've criticised as illegal in the time of former Prime Minister Haradinaj are reviewed by the Kurti government, but that until their annulment comes only by basing every act in law. Returning, canceling each decision by respecting constitutionality“, Musliu said.

Musliu told Kosovo Press that the salaries of prosecutors and judges should be regulated by law, not through executive decisions.

The resolution is very clear is the political will that this status of salaries in the entire public sector, including third powers and prosecutors, be regulated through law and that law must be passed on to the Kosovo Assembly. So I can't play anyone with government decisions whether it's growing or lowering the salaries of judges and prosecutors and because their salaries are legal categories, so you can see that even in cases where there's an increase in just a decrease as it remains in the hands of an executive power can be transformed into a tool to misuse them, making their status of pay simply uncertain. . This is unacceptable, illegal, so as a category it should be regulated only through law in the Kosovo Assembly, the law is another”, Musliu stressed.

At today's meeting, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has abolished the Haradinaj government's decision in 2017 to raise wages for the government cabinet.

But the decision, according to him, will have no effect on lowering current salaries in the justice system.

At this cabinet meeting, I propose to abolish the Government of the Republic of Kosovo No.4/20 by December 20, 2017, with which wages are determined for employees of different levels. Salaries for positions defined with the abolished decision return to the extent defined by the previous judicial regulation should be suggested that this decision has no effect on lowering current salaries in the justice system and the Constitutional Court. I also propose that the government's No02/59 decision be changed and fulfilled by 17.12.2015, which concerns the former officials' benefits after their mandate ends. The Ministry of Finance and Transfers and other relevant institutions for implementation of that decision are under way. This decision comes into force on the date of the signing and applies from February 3, 2020,”, Kurti said.

Towards Kurti's decision during the day, former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has reacted, who said that lowering the wages of the reform cabinet has criticised it as populist and political.

Today's Cabinet wage cut is a completely meaningless political action when it is now known that in a few days the final act of the Constitutional Court about the Law regulating not only the salaries of this cabinet, but also those to come, and that wages will come to everyone as they were. The ordiner fraud with today's action is made for portal titles to gain some quick political points at the expense of the country's fundamental constitutional principle”, he wrote.

With the decision of December 20, 2017, former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj had decided to raise wages by 100 per cent for his salary and government cabinet. Prime Minister Haradinaj, of 1500 euros, was paid 2950 euros. This decision has automatically raised salaries for prosecutors and judges.