Jakaj: Independent institutions risk paralysis, consequences could be irreparable

Senior researcher at the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI), Naim Jakaj, has raised concerns about the growing number of independent institutions and agencies that are facing a lack of members, warning that some of them may become dysfunctional due to political deadlock and the lack of a functional Assembly. 

Jakaj ka thënë se në vitin 2025 ishin evidentuar 17 institucione me probleme në përbërjen ose funksionalitetin e tyre, ndërsa tashmë ky numër është rritur në 24. 

“Në vitin 2025, kur e patëm publikuar një raport të shkurtër mbi gjendjen e pozitave në institucionet e pavarura dhe agjencitë kushtetuese të cilat emërohen nga Kuvendi i Kosovës, atë kohë ka qenë numri 17 i tyre, në pozitat e të cilave ta zëmë në institucionet e caktuara ka pasur mungesë të përbërjes së plotë dhe në disa institucione të tjera kanë qenë jofunksionale. Nga ai numër 17, tani është rritur numri, është në 24, pra për shtatë institucione të tjera. Në disa prej tyre janë pa përbërjen e plotë, ndërkohë disa prej tyre janë bërë tanimë  jofunksionale”, tha ai.

He cited as examples the Complaints Board of the Independent Media Commission and the Board of the Competition Regulatory Authority, which, according to him, are dysfunctional due to the lack of members. 

"We know that the Complaints Board of the Independent Media Commission is dysfunctional, three members are missing; the Board of the Competition Regulatory Authority is dysfunctional because the designated positions have not been filled; there have been resignations in some of the independent institutions, as is the case in the Privatization Agency of Kosovo, a position needs to be filled; we also know what happened with the process of selecting two judges in the Constitutional Court, where two members are missing," he said. 

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Jakaj warned that the situation could worsen further, as the mandates of some institutions' leaders expire, while the processes for their replacement have not started on time.

"Meanwhile, let's take the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, it should have announced the vacancy on June 24 because the current director's term ends on December 24; the Auditor's Office, the Auditor, therefore, expires on August 18, in the meantime, the process for selecting this person at the head of this important constitutional institution should have begun. At the Agency for Information and Privacy, the commissioner's term has ended, it is currently with an acting director. We know that the law has left a special provision there that until the election of a successor or the extension of the current/current mandate, they continue to exercise this mandate until the election of an adequate person. But in Kosovo, in this case, the number of positions that are exercised with acting directors is also increased by new acting directors. So, the public administration should not function with new acting directors," he said.

According to Jakaj, the lack of a functional Assembly could directly affect the work of independent institutions, making it impossible for them to carry out their legal and constitutional duties.

"Meanwhile, some other institutions will come to a time when, due to the lack of a functional Assembly, due to the political deadlock, they may be paralyzed in the sense that they will not be able to carry out their constitutional duties, despite the fact that the law requires these bodies to be responsive to the demands of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. We are mentioning just one of them: the Competition Authority is an institution that takes care of the issue of market regulation in the sense of not establishing different cartels or agreeing on different prices between private companies. Even if there is such a phenomenon, it will not be possible to decide on this issue because there is no authority that would investigate such a case," he told Ekonomia Online.

He announced that there is also a shortage of positions in the Public Procurement Review Body, the Railway Regulatory Authority, Radio Television of Kosovo, the State Aid Commission and the Independent Oversight Council for the Kosovo Civil Service. 

“Tek Organi Shqyrtues i Prokurimit Publik duhet me u plotësuar pozita e kryetarit, ngaqë ka dhënë dorëheqje me 12 gusht 2024; tek Autoriteti Rregullativ i Hekurudhave mungojnë katër anëtarë; tek Radio Televizioni i Kosovës duhet të plotësohen pozitat nga komunitetet jo shumicë; tek Komisioni për Ndihmë Shtetërore mungojnë katër anëtarë dhe zgjedhja e kryesuesit duhet të bëhet; tek Këshilli i Pavarur Mbikëqyrës Civil pas ligjit të ri që ka hyrë në fuqi mungojnë edhe 11 anëtarë, domethënë  Kuvendit do t’i duhet kjo gjë, punë e madhe që ta plotësojë këtë organ kaq të rëndësishëm, por i rëndësishëm për 94 mijë zyrtarët publikë si një organ gjyqësor, kuazi-gjyqësor, mund të ndodhë që të bëhet jofunksional për mungesë të këtyre 11 anëtarëve në muajt në vazhdim”, tha Jakaj. 

Jakaj warned that the consequences of failing to meet these institutions could directly affect the citizens of Kosovo.

"And this lack of members in these collegial and individual bodies will only have consequences for the lives of the citizens of Kosovo, so it will increase the burden of the citizens of Kosovo. And for a democratic state, the lack of these and the paralysis of these institutions will damage it even further. It does not make sense and it is very important that these institutions are constituted as soon as possible and filled with the positions with the missing members, because the consequences at some moments and in some cases will be irreparable," he said.

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Meanwhile, speaking about the Competition Authority, Jakaj warned that its malfunctioning could cause irreparable damage to citizens, especially in cases of suspected illegal price fixing. 

"The large price increase, the agreed price increase in some cases as reported in the public, if it cannot be done and investigated by the Competition Authority for a certain period, there is no point in investigating it for a period that will come after a year or two, because the effect and damage that has been done to citizens cannot be restored by the Competition Authority, because if citizens are going to pay for the cost of living in the basket that he must provide for his family every day, if in the case that he has paid 20 euros, 30 euros more per day or per week, the Competition Authority does not have the duty to return that money to him. Consequently, it will be irreparable damage to each citizen," he said.