At the end of the term, Albulen Haxhiu is remembered for the Special Court: Seeks Mechanism for Monitoring

Justice Minister Albulen Haxhiu considers the fact that the Special Court does not account for any institution in Kosovo.

It says our country must definitely create an international or local supervisory mechanism for Specialised Chambers, especially in terms of the rights of accused persons.

Haxhiu in an interview for Kosova Press has also talked about the resistance they faced to live up to reforms in the justice system, goals even for a governing mandate, and the need for announcing the new competition for the state chief prosecutor.

The first justice in the country says that everything that happened at The Hague has been addressed under meetings with the leaders of this justice institution. But as it says, they have no authority at all.

We have discussed within us as institutions in relation to demands that there be an organism, a mechanism that supervises the work of the Special Court. It is not that there has been reconciliation on who the mechanism will be, how the mechanism will be established, whether it is international or local. This is within the competencies of the Republic of Kosovo...

Despite the discussion, we have met very often, there are different opinions, so until we have a common opinion or a unifying opinion, I think we should discuss it again. It is important that there be a mechanism that oversees at least the rights of the accused, the bias of the court, and other circumstances and other circumstances related to the work of the court. I think that institutions, which have no supervision from anyone, I think it's a very problem... it's unprecedented the way it's founded, it's unprecedented the way you don't answer to anyone. Therefore, of course the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo has to find it, yet it may not be the best possible proposal, but at least have a mechanism that has taken over this“, she stressed.

Minister Haxhiu has declared that she has faced resistance from the opposition to advance reform in the justice system.

Whatever we have not faced with an objection or resistance to a reform we have managed to address the issue. So it would be the same if we had no resistance to reforms or intentional objections to delay, to prevent opposition reform mainly. But you also know that during this time we have faced the greatest challenge, and also the delays that the Constitutional Court has caused in connection with cases that have been subject to review at the Constitutional Court. We have consistently said that the opposition has the right to contest laws in the Constitutional Court, but it has been evident that the tendency of the opposition has been to block these reforms, and delay such reforms so that the same ones fail to live”, Haxhiu says.

Constitutional delays for Minister Haxhiu are biased, and the only goal is to prolong reform in justice.

I think they were intentional. The goal was to delay our reforms in justice, you know we've chosen to work together with the Venice Commission for any important reform for self-preservation, the Prosecutorial Council, the Bureau for Confiscating Riches. If we've got the green wisdom from the Venice Commission, it's been enough for us that reform is in order and in line with standards. ...

Somehow, as without feeling, since reform in justice is important, we have expected the Constitutional Court to assess in line with urgency, in line with priorities... I think it has been the intention to delay us, but there may be delays, as it were, but they cannot stop Kosovo from being a state of justice. Despite these delays, we are determined and insistent that reform in justice is important, so we will never give up“, she says.

Going to Constitutional for the second time from PDK to the Bureau for Confiscating and Verification of Unjustified Riches, the justice minister calls this opposition party's plan not to account for the property gained while in government.

“S first, it's not something we haven't expected, given that the PDK intends, plans, never to account for the wealth they've made all the time they were in government. It seems that these have believed that there will never be independent institutions in Kosovo, before which they must render an account. Anyone who has created property at the expense of Kosovo's citizens by maintaining a public position -- anyone who has misused the state budget -- must be accountable to, for wealth, but also to respond to prosecution. We have estimated that this law is extremely important... This will cause some delays in view of the practice we have with the Constitutional Court, and it is clear that it will cause us some delays, but, as the people éc vonim say, there is no salvation --”, the justice minister says.

In the interview for KosovaPress, the justice minister has voiced its criticism of the Prosecutorial Council and approach to the election of the chief state prosecutor, which for more than two years has remained with a task officer. According to her, the KKP needs to announce the new competition for this position as soon as possible.

“Vlerating that the contest should be announced and Kosovo needs a chief prosecutor with high professional integrity, uninflicted by individuals, oligarchs, interest groups, government, opposition, but working with the greatest effort to help independence the justice system. I believe that the chief state prosecutor has great influence in this, so it is important that the competition be announced and this is a merit and professional process”, she said.

While the election campaign has divided us for a few days, Minister Haxhiu, who is also a member of the leadership in Vetevendosje, believes this party will lead the country for a mandate.

“Vlerating that we will continue governance in the next four-year mandate, of course, citizens decide, but looking at recent research, different surveys, support on the ground, because you know that most of us are also on the ground, we believe that we will strongly continue governance with great support from the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, so I'm saying that the reforms that we've started and that for reasons that have been hampered by the opposition, with delays caused by the Constitutional Court, and that we have not yet lived, we'll be able to complete the term of the next, Haxhiku says.

Minister Haxhiu, having come to the helm of this dictatorship, has pushed ahead with bills implementing justice reform.

As for the vetting process, preparing the legal base, the Kosovo executive began in October 2021, where the concept of the document vetoing in justice was adopted. Later on, this concept of document was requested by the Venice Commission, which initially recommended verifying high levels in the judiciary and prosecutor.

After drafting constitutional amendments from 40 Parliament deputies, Chief Parliamentary Glauk Konjufca submitted amendments for assessment to the Constitutional Court in early March 2023. By late December of last year, the Constitutional Court had paved the way for self - righteousness.

While, with appreciation for constitutionality, the law for the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council has also been met, which was brought down simultaneously by the Constitutional Court, but also the law, which was re-elected to the Assembly and voted, then by the opposition again sent to Constitutional.

The opposition faced the Constitutional Court twice with the Law for the Bureau for Verification and Confiscating Unjustified Riches, which is currently in Constitutional. /kp/