E fundit!

21:26 POLITICS

Balla reacts to Athens: Narta is Albanian, indigenous land

The Chairman of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group an...

Kurti: We need a new law for war veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army

2023-07-15 18:12:37, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kurti: We need a new law for war veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said on Saturday that the treatment of war veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army should be resolved with a new law and supports the provision of as many benefits as possible for this category, but those benefits are not wages.

He made these comments amid reactions to the non-inclusion of veterans in the minimum wage law, which was approved two days ago in the Kosovo parliament.

The pension of veterans, according to the law on this category, is equal to the minimum wage in the country, but the law that was approved in the second reading on Thursday evening does not include the increase of pensions of veterans.

The law on the minimum wage foresees its increase to 264 euros, from 130 to 170 as it is currently. If this law enters into force, for which the signature of the country's president and publication in the official newspaper is required, veterans will continue to receive 170 euros, which is their current pension.

"We are for the highest possible benefits for the veterans of the liberation war, but these benefits are not salaries because the salary is for work, while the benefits are the gratitude of society which is given to the war veterans for the liberation war which is the source of citizenship. , independence and our freedom", said Prime Minister Kurti.

The new law on the minimum wage envisages the amendment of the Law on veterans, so that, as it is said, "until the final categorization of the list of veterans, the government of Kosovo decides on the amount of pensions determined by this law".

"We are committed to having a new law, but for this we need to have the facts correct. I believe that more than 60 thousand participants took part in the liberation war, but there is a kind of tripling of the number of veterans. Therefore, it is necessary to call things by their proper names", said Prime Minister Kurti.

His comments were made a few hours before a protest announced by the Organization of War Veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army against the law, which the organization has warned will be sent to the Constitutional Court for review.

The organizers of the protest said that they will oppose, as they said, the "scandalous actions of the government", while they also demanded the resignation of the head of the Vetëvendosje parliamentary group in power, Mimoza Kusari - Lila.

For several days in a row, the Nationale portal published several conversations between the head of the Vetëvendosje parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, with representatives of the Serbian List, including the vice-president of this party, Milan Radoj?i?, who is sanctioned by the United States for "involvement in organized crime and corruption".

Clashes over this issue led to a physical fight in the Kosovo parliament on Thursday.

On Saturday, the Minister of the Interior of Kosovo, Xhelal Sveçla, provoked reactions in a post on social networks in which, among other things, he said that the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic "is losing the battle on the ground with Kurti, that is why he is returning to the hybrid war that through the mechanisms that is in control of trying to incite riots in Kosovo. Conversations held in the Assembly, which Lista Serbe had recorded and the recordings had handed over to Vu?i?, from the hand of Vu?i? found their way to be published in a media in Kosovo", wrote Minister Sveçla, among other things, emphasizing that " now, as a result of intentional misinterpretations, we had a scene of provoked violence in the parliament of Kosovo, and as if those scenes that portrayed Kosovo as an unstable country in all international media were not enough, today there is also a protest called in front of the government. It is strange how the protest happened to be organized on Saturday, the same time as the protest in Belgrade that is being organized there against Vu?i?. It is even more strange that Berat Buzhala and Vehbi Kajtazi have called this protest in the name of protecting the values ??of the KLA, when everyone knows their public statements that the KLA has committed war crimes in Kosovo".

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) expressed concern with the post of Minister Sveçla, in which, as stated in a reaction of this organization, "dangerous language was used towards the media and journalists. Minister Sveçla insinuates that the audio-recordings of the Head of the Parliamentary Group of his party, Mimoza Kusari Lila, with the former deputy of Srpska, Simiç, were given to the Kosovo media by the Serbian president, Vuçiç.

AGK emphasizes that "such language endangers the safety of the mentioned journalists and is part of the government's continuous attempt to intimidate the media".

Opposition parties reacted with concern to Minister Sveçla's post.

The chairman of the Democratic Party, Memli Krasniqi, called the post a provocation to escalate the situation.

"The government wants to clash. Through a scandalous and insulting statement against veterans and journalists, inciting above all - the Government of Albin Kurti is looking for a clash", he wrote, among other things, calling on the participants in the protest for restraint and calmness.

The President of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lumir Abdixhiku, demanded the dismissal of Minister Sveçla.

"Reckless, inflammatory and offensive statement of the Minister of Internal Affairs. The baseless labeling of journalists and the shameful insult of ex-combatants - even if we do not agree with them - is a new low level of policy-making in the Republic. Ignoring communication of the head of the party with a terrorist, and building inciting and confrontational language with full of imagination is a masquerade", wrote Mr. Abdixhiku.

The chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, called on the Prime Minister Albin Kurti to, as he said, withdraw "his sejmen" and put an end to the division.

"Let the people protest for their right and don't divide and divide the people. What you once used as rights for yourself (protests and demonstrations) do not try to stop others. It is not the fault of the veterans, nor the civil society, nor the media, nor the journalists, nor the opposition! It is your own fault that you are not governing with the country, but you are trying to rule it", Mr. Haradinaj wrote, among other things./ VOA