United Opposition Rejects Postponing Elections

Democratic League of Kosovo officials (LDK) and those of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) have confirmed participation in Monday's meeting, called by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, but the same have indicated against the idea of delaying the elections.

Keeping the meeting has also confirmed by the president's cabinet, giving no additional comments on the idea of delaying elections. Against this idea is legal and political connoisseur Albert Krasniqi.

The meeting of President Osmani with representatives of political parties comes after the letter of the National Public Health Institute (IKSHPK), which has recommended the failure to hold local elections.

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According to IKSHPK's letter, holding elections would affect the increase in coronary cases and thus increase the risk of rising cases of death.

Because the electoral process may have increased impact on the spread and increase of cases with COVIID-19, we recommend delaying the election process, respectively, prohibiting public activities, citizens' collection and public gatherings of all types and nature without exception, until the epidemiological assessment of the next”, it is said among other things in IKSHPK's letter.

United Opposition Against Delay of Elections
LDK Parliamentary Group chief Arben Gashi says the demand for postponement of elections is unacceptable.

“We will participate in the meeting and give our remarks. It's an unreasonable and unnecessary request, we're against like LDK. The legitimacy of no local institution then and the lack of legitimacy would cause major problems”, Gashi says.

He says the government should deal with the most efficient management of the COVID-19 pandemic, not attempting to postpone elections.

If this is about security issues from COVID-19, then precautionary measures should be taken, distances, small gatherings, the campaign can be eliminated altogether, there are many solutions. No country in the world has cancelled them, and I don't think we can do it” either, Gashi says.

Meanwhile, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo deputy (AAK), Shemsedin Dresaj, says delaying elections is not an adequate solution.

If the elections are postponed, there are very big consequences related to local government. Practically it will be a vacan power, municipalities will be with a management in expiration. The possibility of even misuse and not having good management, efficient, is too large”, says Dreshai.

According to him, Kosovo has held general elections in the pandemic and that it should be held again.

“I don't think it's a sufficient attribute for the current situation with COVID-19 to be the reason for the delay of the elections, because there will be a practical and logical question: how long will elections be organised? We're not sure when the pandemic will end if the mass inoculation of the population is not conducted, says Dresey.

Free Europe Radio has also tried to receive answers from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, but officials of this party have not responded.

As far as the Vetvendosje Movement Information Office, the party that leads with the Government of Kosovo, say health institutions are the ones that give due recognition to the issue.

Krasniqi: President has competence to postpone elections
Albert Krasniqi, from the organisation Democracy Plus (D+), says that with this legal framework that Kosovo has, elections cannot be postponed, regardless of the will the president may have or any of the political parties.

Krasniqi says the Constitution and laws have not been defined as competence to the president, the annulment or postponement of the elections. According to him, the president has only the election proclamation for competence.

The only possibility to postpone the elections is if the state of emergency is declared, and then the mandate of municipal municipalities and mayors is extended, or if political parties all in parliament agree to postpone the elections. Thus a provisional legal framework creates that gives the president competence to postpone elections”, Krasniqi says.

If taken out of those circumstances, according to Krasniqi, it would be contrary to the president's constitutional and legal competencies and would not be the currency delay of the elections.

In March 2020, when the pandemic had begun in Kosovo, former President Hashim Thaci had made a decision to postpone elections for Podujevo chairman.

Until May last year, incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti had demanded that elections be held.

Even in this case, according to Albert Krasniqi, legal frameworks have not been respected and have been contrary to the president's competencies. According to him, this case should not be set as a precedent for rematching the elections.

Meanwhile, infected Hamdi Ramdani says Kosovo should focus on the fight against pandemic, as currently the death toll from COVID-19 is very high.

“The question of delaying elections for a few days or weeks is completely political about what political subjects should be aware of. But I think that every institution, every citizen, every politician, should focus on how to fight the COVIDD-19”, Ramdan says.

Since last month, Kosovo has registered high numbers of daily infections, but also of victims. During the past ten days alone, 237 victims have been registered in Kosovo.

The October 17th elections are fair elections, which, under legislation in effect, are held every four years.

The last local elections in Kosovo were held on October 22, 2017.

The law on local elections, at Article four, point two, says local elections “cannot be held earlier than 60 days before the mandate ends and not later than 30 days after the end of the” mandate.

This law also stipulates that it is within the power of the president of state to proclaim elections, but in this legislation is not about delaying elections.