Kosova

The Guardian: Two candidates in Kosovo elections who promise to break down the great wall of corruption

The Guardian: Two candidates in Kosovo elections who promise to break down the

A new political alliance seems to be the only way to break down the great wall of corruption in Kosovo. This is what the main candidates for prime minister and president say before the elections that are held early on Sunday, February 14th. But this may be the first time in Kosovo that a single party gets the majority of votes.

The Guardian has published an article showing that the union between Albin Kurti, the candidate for prime minister, and Vjosa Osmani, the president, is proving to be popular in the polls so far.

Kurti and Osmani come from different traditions and parties, but they have said they have the determination to end the capture of the state by a corrupt elite.

Kurti comes from the left and is very focused on work and justice, especially for young people. Given the fact that half of Kosovo is under the age of 30.

Albin Kurti became famous as an activist in the late 90s, when he was still with long hair. He protested against the oppression of Kosovo Albanians by Slobodan Milosevic's Serbia. He led student protests at the University of Pristina, worked for the political wing of the Kosovo Liberation Army and was imprisoned by the Milosevic regime for almost three years.

Already more mature and with his hair cut, he insists he has not lost his resolve:

"It is better to move forward even though you may suffer an epic death, because you will have the chance for resurrection. This is better than staying in power by all means, with compromises and concessions for all."

While Vjosa Osmani, who is 38 years old, mother of two and speaks four languages ​​fluently, comes from the center right. She had her first interview with The Guardian when she was 17, after her family was forced to leave home in northern Kosovo. She is one of the few women in a male-dominated politics and became interim president after Hashim Thaci resigned to face war crimes charges in The Hague.

If elected prime minister, Albi Kurti has insisted that Osmani be appointed president.

Kurti's Vetëvendosje party left an impression in the October 2019 elections after winning the majority of votes, finally breaking the duopoly of power held by the old parties since the end of the 1998-1999 war.

Kurti, however, needed to form a coalition, something that lasted a few months. After 51 days in office, his junior partners from the Democratic League of Kosovo in March backed a no-confidence motion, and were apparently asked to do so by the Trump administration.

As Covid spread to Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who was the speaker of parliament, said she considered her party's divisive move to be as irresponsible as the EU.

While now Kosovars seem drawn to the new Kurti-Osmani alliance, saying that Kurti deserves a second chance to end political chaos and address the country's deep problems. But if they fail, the disappointment will be great.

Osmani insists that she and Kurti have learned what their country needs.

"The biggest obstacle in front of us is this great wall of crime and corruption over the years. In order to bring it down we must join forces. We may have had differences in the past, but what has united us is something much stronger and that is fighting the main internal enemy of our country, the capture of the state. It is not that we lack institutions to fight corruption, but we lack political will. "When high-level politicians are corrupt, corruption permeates the entire system."

Vjosa Osmani këmbëngul se shumica e votuesve shqetësohen më pak nga ideologjia, apo premtimet elektorale, sesa të udhëhiqen nga të pakorruptuarit.

Albin Kurti argumenton se mungesa e sundimit të ligjit pengon investitorët, duke lënë vendin me 1.8 milion njerëz, me një diasporë të madhe dhe të rinj të mirë-kualifikuar pa punë të përshtatshme për formimin e tyre: "Shakaja që bëhet në Kosovë është se pse makiatot janë kaq të mira dhe përgjigjja është sepse ato bëhen nga ata me master në sociologji". 1.5 miliardë euro në vit janë paratë që vijnë nga diaspora kur buxheti i shtetit është në total 2.5 miliardë euro.

Nëse konfirmohet si presidente nga asambleja pas zgjedhjeve, Osmani do të duhet të kthejë BE, Britaninë dhe SHBA në të njëjtën faqe për të përmbushur sfidat e Kosovës. Tek Joe Biden, të cilin e ka takuar, Vjosa Osmani do të ketë avantazhin e një presidenti amerikan të fokusuar tek rajoni ballkanik dhe ajo sheh një shans që edhe Britania të luajë një rol kryesor krahas SHBA-ve.

Ndërsa Donald Trump në një nga iniciativat e tij të politikës së jashtme u përpoq të zgjidhte situatën midis Kosovës dhe Serbisë dhe për të marrë kredencialet e një marrëveshje. Ai mendoi se mund të bënte që dy burra të fortë - presidenti serb, Aleksandër Vuçiç dhe Thaçi të bien dakord për shkëmbime territoresh, dhe në këmbim Serbia të mund të njihte Kosovën.

Trump asnjeherë nuk arriti shumë, por si pjesë e marrëveshjes, e mirëpritur me një ceremoni në muajin shkurt, Izraeli i dha Kosovës njohjen dhe Kosova do të zhvendosë ambasadën e saj në Jeruzalem. Është një lëvizje që mund të shihet si një hangover i çuditshëm nga epoka e Trump dhe që vështirë se do e fusë Kosovën në BE.

Pak më shumë se gjysma e vendeve anëtare të Kombeve të Bashkuara nuk e njohin akoma Kosovën si shtet i pavarur, përfshirë këtu pesë vende anëtare të Bashkimit Evropian.

Të dy kandidatët, Albin Kurti dhe Vjosa Osmani mirëpresin njohjen nga Izraeli, por duket se janë të gatshëm të dëgjojnë Uashingtonin për çështjen e ambasadës.

Albin Kurti says: "I do not think we can face more disagreements between Washington and Brussels when it comes to the Balkans. If there are contradictions, other superpowers like Russia will step in."

* Tiranapost.al.