Democracy Day marked, government criticised for violating democratic values

Chief Parliamentary Glauk Konjufca said this day is a call for attention from institutions for building human policies and capacities. Besides, it was said that the current government has violated democratic values and has shown a lack of accountability.

Kosovo Parliament Speaker Glauk Konjufca said that marking this day is an opportunity to stress the importance of the ideals of freedom, equality and justice.

At a time when worldwide, more and more unfortunately, there is room for mismanagement and disinformation, the global topic for International Democracy Day this year by the United Nations has been designated artificial intelligence as a means of better governance than the risks posed for democracy, when we have no control mechanisms. This is also a call for attention from our institutions to work jointly towards building human policies and capacities to operate artificial intelligence, with the aim of increasing efficiency, transparency and decision-making to create general government, while maintaining both trust and integrity in the processes of democratic governance”, Konjufca said.

Konjufca added that democracy is maintained through civic engagement, while stressing that elections are central to democracy.

The director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Kosovo, Nancy Soderberg, spoke of artificial intelligence, which he said even in Kosovo there have been cases of influence on women.

“Artificial intelligence offers great opportunities for progress, but this wonderful technology also presents fundamental challenges specifically how it faces human rights and democratic values. In Kosovo we have seen that AI and digital means can be misused to disrupt women's participation, then spreading dangerous Narrativa and undermining democratic values... Kosovo has the opportunity to build high standards to be exploited in good order to benefit society in general and promote transparency”, she added.

Forum for Parliamentary Transparency Chairman Abreena Kryeziu Hyseni said the assembly is the most democratic country, where she added that transparency of accountability has increased.

“One of the most democratic, transparent institutions the Republic of Kosovo has. And at the same time one of the most democratic institutions that the countries of the region and the Balkans have and this has come exactly because we have always moved forward in our common intention to increase the level of democracy in Kosovo and to show that we are willing to change and we have done this together year after year ... The Assembly today is more open and accessible than ever before and therefore has increased transparency and accountability is greater”, she said.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party of Kosovo deputy Blerta Deliu-Kodra said democratic values have been violated.

“We need to talk about the serious situation and not rarely the vulnerability that has been done to Kosovo's democratic values. When we are here, no doubt we need to talk about the rare vulnerability these democratic values have had over the years. We had a non-democratic government that didn't rarely violate the state foundation. The lack of accountability that was now mentioned has not been rarely at the heart of our discussions in the assembly. The ministers, who have been irresponsible and if we see reports of civil society organisations, we have a prime minister who at the spring session 36 times has not responded to the demands and parliamentary questions of MPs”, she concluded.

The fair of civil society organisations is also being organised in the Kosovo Assembly Hall.