June is the month when NATO forces entered Kosovo after 78 days of aerial bombardment of Serbian targets.
After the entry of KFOR soldiers into Kosovo, the Serbian forces have released the territory of Kosovo.
But even though a decade has passed after the declaration of independence and 19 years after the end of the war, Kosovo still does not have an official day of liberation.
June 12, which is marked as the date when NATO forces entered Kosovo, in the Law on Official Holidays approved in 2008, is not an official holiday, nor is it recognized as a day of liberation. This date has been introduced in this law to marked or memorial holidays, writes kp.
It is not even called Liberation Day, but Peace Day.
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Liberation days are marked only at the municipal level, by municipalities separately, on different dates, depending on when they were liberated.
Members of the Kosovo Assembly in opposition positions, as well as analysts, call it absurd not to introduce June 12 as an official holiday as the day of liberation.
Some even say that the marking of the day of liberation comes as a result of not recognizing the war of the KLA, for the liberation of the country.
The deputy of AAK, Rasim Selmanaj, who in 2008 when this law was approved, had voted against it, since the law had many shortcomings, tells KosovaPress that now is the right moment for the country's institutions to complete the change of the law on Official Holidays and insert June 12 as an official holiday and mark it as the day of liberation.
"I share the opinion that this large number of holidays should be reduced anyway. The idea that liberation day, in this case June 12, becomes an official holiday is appropriate. However, it is good that through the changes in the draft law, these necessary changes take place. It doesn't have to be just a memorial holiday. This should be a holiday and on the day of liberation, which is considered the liberation of Kosovo, the institutions should not work, but not only memorial day", said Selmanaj.
Selmanaj points out that there have been requests from some communities, especially from the Serbian community, to include what is known as the Battle of Kosovo (June 28) as their official holiday, which he says is unacceptable and there is no logic to this request is not even accepted.
The deputy of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Rexhep Selimi, tells KosovaPress that the absence of the liberation day is a consequence of not recognizing the liberation war of the KLA.
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"For example, there is no celebration of liberation, it is not why they do not consider that Kosovo is not liberated, but they do not recognize the struggle for liberation. Because if he knew the war for liberation as it was and as it should be, then the day of the liberation of Kosovo would come as a result. So, they don't have a problem with the day of liberation, the non-description of the day of liberation in the law on official holidays has to do with the liberation war, not with the day of liberation. The war of the KLA has not been addressed either roughly, nor historically, nor in terms of dignity in the Constitution and laws of Kosovo. So, the problem is the liberation war, not the day of liberation", said Selimi.
According to Selim, with this political class that leads Kosovo, the law on official holidays cannot be changed and June 12 is introduced as the day of liberation, since you lack two basic things, the will and commitment to the nation.
The introduction of June 12 as the official holiday of the liberation of Kosovo is also considered necessary by analyst Imer Mushkolaj.
"Even Kosovo, like every country in the world, should have its own day of liberation. In fact, when the decision was made to name this day as a day of peace, it was made with the idea that the rights of any other community, namely the Serbian community, would not be violated, with the idea that they would not be irritated if it is called the day of liberation. However, no other term can replace the day of liberation and we cannot falsify history. On that day Kosovo was liberated and this should be the day of liberation. If this law was approved at a time, however, the institutions of Kosovo did not have full powers, this does not mean that the institutions should not change the law. The law must be changed, now the institutions of Kosovo decide on everything in the country and the Assembly of Kosovo should take the initiative anyway so that Kosovo has its own day of liberation", emphasized Mushkolaj.
According to Mushkolaj, the day of liberation is not the day of the liberation of only Albanians from Serbian occupation, but the arrival of NATO forces in Kosovo and the bringing of freedom, which has been good news for other communities as well.
He also emphasized that June 12, the day of liberation, should not be equated with other memorial holidays, because it exceeds these dimensions.
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According to the law on official holidays, Kosovo has 11 official holidays. They are, New Year, January 1 and 2, Independence Day of the Republic of Kosovo, February 17, Kosovo Constitution Day, April 9, International Labor Day, May 1, Europe Day, May 9, Eid al-Adha, first day, Little Eid, first day, Catholic Christmas, December 25, Orthodox Christmas, January 7, Catholic Easter, Easter Monday and Orthodox Easter, Easter Monday.
Whereas, the memorial holidays according to this law are, November 28, Day of Albanians, June 12, Day of Peace, March 6, Day of Remembrance and Respect for Veterans, April 23, Day of Turks, April 8, Day of Roma, 15 February, Ashkali Day, September 28, Bosnian Day and May 6, Gorani Day.
