Ideal party orientation, facing election list compositions

According to them, on the electoral lists separately, political subjects competing for early parliamentary elections on February 14th, there is no consistency of people who would be convincing to advance ideological projects, within a specific framework based on the declared ideological orientation of the respective parties.

The Central Election Commission on Friday has not certified the election lists of political subject Vetevendosje (VV), Social Democrat Initiative and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) because these parties had not replaced candidates for which the Kosovo Judiciary Council (KGJK) had said they were not in line with the Law for General Elections.

The KCJ had said that “are 47 candidates from around 1,080 who have been convicted of criminal acts with a final court ruling in the last three years”.

Political subjects and candidates praising that they are not properly certified have a 24-hour complaint right in the 24-hour electoral panel for Ances and Parashtre (PZAP).

The issue could go up to the Supreme Court if the side might be dissatisfied with the PZAP decision. The period of complaints is set to close by 31 January.

Political Affairs Editor Artan Muhhaxhiri tells Radio Free Europe that electoral lists present short-term interests, whether of different clans within parties or of the goals of political leaders for a populist position, which guarantees maximumisation of the vote.

In the lists of political subjects competing in elections, according to him, there are so many improvisements that it cannot be talked about long-term strategic planning, but only for short-term purposes and interests.

The election <x0Lists clearly reflect this ideological imbalance of political parties, because it is impossible that within a list there are representatives who have completely opposite positions, whether in ideological terms or in a political but religious way. There is a considerable disrepute between the pre-advanced goals and candidates on those” lists, Muhramir points out.

Another recognition of political developments, Agon Maliqi, in a conversation for Radio Free Europe, expresses the opinion that political parties themselves have problems with precise ideological profiles, because they are largely profiled on the basis of narrow interests.

“Basically, (political parties) have their identities based on the violent history of Kosovo, on the huge cracks and fractures we have had, as well as on the distribution of favors based on regions or on direct interests. There's very little room for something ideological. It is also noted by party messages, which are more focused on these elections in these historical dimensions than on political offers that have ideological colors. Now even lists are the reflection of this”, Maliqi says.

Political developments' acquaintances, Muhaxhiri and Maliqi, estimate that, the Vetevendosje Movement, which is declared as the leftist party, currently within it has one, as they call it, <x0mish ideological medium”.

Maliqi says LVV “will have difficulty managing that gum, because there's a coalition between three or four of its currents”.

Muhramir says that the <x0V's “conflict with the religious factor makes its ideological left-wing problem or handover ahead of right “, because “will ultimately have to choose between contrasting the values of left values or handover before right”.

The Democratic League of Kosovo, which is declared a centre-right party, during its governance has had many elements belonging to the left.

“The LDK is mostly focused on securing party loyalty, as a key principle”, Maliqi says.

According to the muhramir “during its governance, the LDK has had many elements belonging to the left, and it cannot be a strengthening of concrete works in interconnection with ideological position”.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, which was initially considered ideologically on the left, has recently changed its position and claimed to be right.

But, as Mujardiri says, “takes into account the leading structure of the PDK, it cannot be about its rightness, because most of its leadership has met the left ideology and has failed to get over it in the right direction for a short period of time”.

Maliqi says the PDK has remained between the old and new generation of its politicians “in efforts to reform and affirm the new generation. But there's nothing revolutionary about”.

Ramush Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo has already been declared right, the Social Democrat Initiative of Fatmir Limaj, as the leftist party. But, as the connoisseurs of political developments say, their very functioning, which is based on total leadership, diminishes and dims the ideological values that are for orientation of these parties, because group and tribal interests are disassembled with a functioning based on ideological preferences.

Both political developments' connoisseurs that as long as the compositions of the electoral lists reflect the reality of the stated ideological orientation of political parties -- competing in the February 14th elections -- will reflect the ideological orientation of programmes, which these parties will provide as election offers.

Muhariri voices the opinion that election lists creations and the construction of party programmes are results in the way and form of party functioning.

If major improvises have been made in the list-making process, then it is logical to expect that there will also be improvises in software creations, but also in the way of implementing these programs in practice, whoever is in government. So, we cannot expect a major consistance of political parties in relation to ideological principles”, Muhramiri estimates.