KOHË's Brussels correspondent, Augustin Palokaj, said that despite some international officials having problems communicating with Kurti, they had no preferences as to who they would like to see as the winner.
Palokaj said on the show "Elections in the Time" that for many people in the EU, the victory of the Vetëvendosje Movement was not a surprise, but such a result could be a surprise.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support Contribute"First of all, let me remind you that not only the High Representative Kaja Kallas but also the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, have jointly issued a statement on these elections, saying that the way these elections were held demonstrates a commitment to democratic principles. They do not often say such a thing about the countries of the region, which is why Kosovo truly continues to be an example in this regard. For many people in the EU, the victory of the LVV is not a surprise, but such a result could be a surprise. I have said several times that despite the fact that some international officials have had problems communicating with Kurti, they have not had preferences as to who they would like to see as the winner. This result is also understood as a relief for them since it almost guarantees a way out of the political impasse that affected both within Kosovo and Kosovo's relations with the international community. Kos has not visited Kosovo at all," Palokaj declared on the show "Elections in the NOW", who stated that regarding Commissioner Kos's non-visit, the answers were often heard that there is no one to meet in Kosovo because there is no one to meet with. there is a legitimate government.
The European Union (EU) in its first reaction after the elections in Kosovo has expressed its expectation that a government will be formed as soon as possible and that contacts with it will continue. It also underlines the need for ratification of the agreements from the Growth Plan so that Kosovo can benefit from those EU funds.
Correspondent Palokaj said that it is no coincidence that this was mentioned in the EU's response because there are only two years left for Kosovo to benefit from the funds from the Growth Plan.
Asked if the lifting of the measures had any tendency to be related to the December 28 elections in Kosovo, Palokaj said that those three or four measures were lifted only for three or four projects so that Kosovo would not lose the 34 million euros that would be lost forever from the day after tomorrow.
"The decision to lift the measures was approved almost half a year ago. The recommendation and finding that Kosovo has met the conditions for their lifting was given more than a year ago. If there was any tendency for them to be linked to the elections, then there was a request that they not be lifted before the elections. Only three or four measures for three or four projects have been lifted because if they were not lifted, the funds of around 34 million euros from the day after tomorrow would be lost for Kosovo because they are dedicated to projects starting in 2021 and those funds would be lost forever," Palokaj said on the show "Elections in the Time".
Lubonja: I see a risk of authoritarianism in Kosovo
Albanian publicist Fatos Lubonja said he was surprised by the results of the December 28 elections in Kosovo. He said he sees the victory of the Vetëvendosje Movement in Kosovo as a threat to authoritarianism.
Lubonja stated on the show "Elections in the Time" that Kurti does not seem the same to her as Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who, according to Lubonja, has combined authoritarianism with the oligarchic system, buying off the elite and impoverishing Albania economically.
"I have seen the victory of the Vetëvendosje Movement with hesitation now, without being a partisan of the opposition. I see a risk of authoritarianism in Kosovo, which is not a good thing because we really need democracy. Kurti embodies a positive characteristic and this negative one referring to Albania, authoritarianism. The leader we have in Tirana, in addition to the authoritarianism that all of us Albanians have, Rama has combined it a little with the system he has established, which is the oligarchic system, the system of corruption, the buying of the elite that has impoverished Albania both in thought and in the economy. Our economy is an economy based on this oligarchy that is often based on laundering dirty drug money. I know Kurti less, but it does not seem to me that he is of this system, it seems more that he seeks a social state. It does not seem that he seeks or is allied with those who can be called the oligarchy in Kosovo, and in this aspect I think it is positive. However, it must be seen with a risk that if he does not give up power, he may also go to these kinds of compromises later," he declared. Lubonja.
Referring to the results where the Vetevendosje Movement received almost 50%, Lubonja said that this result was not expected due to the fact that in his assessment, the Vetevendosje Movement should have been punished more for the several-month blockade of Kosovo's institutions, while the other parties should have been punished a little less.
According to Lubonja, Albanians prefer charismatic leaders, and Kurti is one of them, according to him. On the show "Elections in the Time", the publicist from Albania said that the diaspora also influenced the result of the Vetëvendosje Movement.
"I was surprised by the result because I was referring to the February result. What I'm looking to find out is what has changed within these 10 months since such a result was reached. I thought that a good part of the responsibility for that crisis in Kosovo should be placed on the majority. I thought that the voter would punish the majority a little more and the other parties or the opposition a little less, based only on that crisis. It turns out I was wrong. I think Albanians love these strong charismatic leaders, Kurti I think was such a leader compared to other leaders. I think that the diaspora also influenced this result because since he doesn't live there, he sees the maneuvers from afar or geopolitics alone, and Kurti undoubtedly represents better in the relationship with Serbia and I think that this has had an impact", declared Lubonja on the show "Elections in the TIME".
Isufi: LDK has a part of the electorate in LVV
The Deputy Editor-in-Chief of KOHĖ, Elmaz Isufi, said that the LDK acted the same way as during the pandemic when the Kurti 1 government was overthrown and that it aligned itself with the PDK twice in a row.
In the show "Elections in the Time", Isufi stated that the LDK has a part of the electorate in the Vetëvendosje Movement and that a group within this party is ready to return to the LDK.
"Since we were analyzing the data in the last elections. The consequence of the last result is similar to the actions that the LDK took during the pandemic. It sided with the PDK twice. It joined the PDK's cause. The Kurti 1 government was overthrown by Hashim Thaçi and Ramush Haradinaj and the LDK was used as an instrument to create a government that ultimately turned out to be unconstitutional. In the February 9 elections, it unknowingly joined the PDK and AAK's cause. The LDK has a similar spirit to the LVV in some aspects. What is most important is that the LDK has a part of the electorate in the LVV. The LDK has a group within the LVV that is with one foot in the LVV and with the other foot is ready to return to the LDK," said Isufi.
Isufi also assessed that it would be healthy for the LDK to accept the Vetëvendosje Movement's offer for a coalition at the time when it was being sent offers from this party.
Ramosaj on Abdixhiku and Hamza: They don't know how to lead, they are simple managers
Former LDK MP Berim Ramosaj said that PDK and LDK are suffering from leadership issues.
According to him, the leaders of these two parties are more like party managers.
He was particularly critical of the Democratic League of Kosovo. According to him, its leaders, since the death of Ibrahim Rugova, have been simple managers, not leaders.
"We tell them leaders because they are more party managers than leaders, because they do not know how to lead, they are both good technicians. Leadership is a spirit, it is a process of influencing the individual towards others, so that others follow him. The LDK has constantly suffered for a leader, since the death of Ibrahim Rugova. Simple managers have come to the fore, in the sense that they know how to make budgets, know how to count people, but they do not know how to convey spirit. The same thing was with the PDK. Hamza was so artificial in his appearance that he had no spirit at all. He constantly called on his leaders that he had in The Hague. They are waiting for a leader, "he said.
He said that in LDK, the decline is not accidental.
According to him, since Isa Mustafa took over the leadership, the tendency of all subsequent leaders was to create a new LDK.
Ramosaj said that opposition parties have fallen into Albin Kurti's traps, losing their programmatic orientation.
"I wonder if there is team leadership in those parties or individual will, because they fell into those positions that sometimes the proposals were anachronistic of the Government," he said, speaking about the campaign promises. "The unilateral actions of the Kurti Government in northern Mitrovica have brought results in 3 years, while a dialogue with the Serbian side took 20 years to happen. This is with full consequences. Many criminal organizations have been eliminated," he added.
Koci: If the new generation and the old were combined, LDK would maintain primacy
Melazim Koci, former editor-in-chief of Radio Free Europe, said that the LDK has made major and almost intolerable cuts to its founders.
He added that the LDK today is a completely different generation.
"I am surprised that today there is no one from that generation in its ranks. If they had combined with that generation, I think it would have maintained the primacy of the first party," he said.
Speaking about the Democratic Party's result, he said that it has preserved its identity more than the LDK.
Salihu: LVV received four thousand votes in Skenderaj, a relatively large number
Bekim Salihu from the GAP Institute said that in Kosovo there can be no talk of standard voters because, according to him, the vote can often be oriented by the mood of the citizens.
Salihu, on the show "Elections in the Time", said that this time there was an interesting movement in the graph in Drenica as well. He called the number of votes that the Vetëvendosje Movement received in Skenderaj relatively large, around 4 thousand votes.
"In Kosovo, we cannot talk about standard voters. Voters change their orientation and mood. This time, there were interesting movements in the graph in Drenica as well. In Skenderaj, LVV received about 4 thousand votes. It is a relatively large number that this political entity receives in that region," said Salihu.
Regarding the LDK result, Salihu estimates that this happened because Abdixhiku did not convey the spirit of electoral mobilization and, according to him, he also made a mistake when he did not accept the Vetëvendosje Movement's offer to govern together.
"I believe that LDK, on the other hand, has the worst result in the history of its existence. The first factor, I believe, is the fact that Abdixhiku has not conveyed a spirit of electoral mobilization. The second factor is a kind of rigid positioning of his towards the possibility of a coalition with LVV. He had the opportunity, he had the offer. Abdixhiku could benefit greatly from this," declared Salihu.
He also considers that all political parties fell for Kurti's calculations to call early elections at the end of the year and achieve this result.
Isufi: LVV had it easy to reach 50%, the opposition made it possible
The Deputy Editor-in-Chief of KOHË, Elmaz Isufi, assessed that the non-serious approach of the opposition parties contributed most to the victory of the Vetëvendosje Movement.
Isufi, on the show "Elections in the Time", said that despite the results of February 9, the opposition parties again nominated the same candidates for prime minister, while according to Isufi, they approached political power as if they had reserved seats in the Kosovo Assembly.
"From my perspective, LVV had an easy time making 50% due to the fact that the frivolous approach of the opposition parties contributed to the defeat they suffered on February 9. The fact that all three opposition parties have appointed the same candidate for prime minister, even in sports, a losing team does not continue the championship with a losing coach. This was the first favor they did to LVV. The second favor is that they allowed LVV to govern for about 10 months. To have institutional capacities at its disposal and to push forward policies that I think affirmed its willingness that this government guarantees both economic stability and social well-being. During this period, LVV's focus has been on several target groups that the opposition parties have not worked with. They approached political power as if they had reserved seats in the parliament. Their effort is not to grow but to fight within the group to secure these seats. This convenience was translated into LVV's success," Isufi declared.
Koci: The opposition contributed to the VV result
Former editor-in-chief of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Melazim Koci, said he did not expect this election result.
According to him, even Vetëvendosje itself did not expect this result.
Koci stated that the opposition contributed to this result.
"The moment they refused to vote for the minority government of Konjufca, they made a serious mistake. If they voted for this government, they would prove to the public that they are a constructive party that wants to overcome the impasse and would delay the elections until March and avoid the diaspora vote, which in all likelihood was decisive in creating this distance. Because I believe it will reach 50 percent. That short-sighted decision of the opposition contributed the most to this result," he said.
According to him, in the eventual elections to be held in March, this result would not come out.
He said that with this result, there are no earthquakes but stability is warned.
He added that Kurti will without any problem form the government and constitute the parliament.
"The election of the president will be problematic because 80 votes are needed, if Vetevendosje shows generosity by refraining from proposing any of its own candidates because it could irritate the opposition," he said.
Salihu: Not even the Vetëvendosje Movement expected this result
Bekim Salihu from the GAP Institute stated that the results of the December 28 elections were not at all expected by political entities.
Salihu, on the show "Elections in the Time", emphasized that even the Vetëvendosje Movement itself did not expect this result. He added that the internal poll of this party ranked it at 43% but not at nearly 50%, which it achieved.
"It was a surprising result for almost everyone, including political entities. Not even the Vetevendosje Movement itself has expressed any opinion about expectations of this nature. This expectation was there in the February 9 elections, but there was no expectation for this result in the December 28 elections. According to some data that I was able to obtain, LVV operated with a survey a few days before the elections which ranked this political entity somewhere around 43% and not close to 50%. The result is surprising and I believe that this is a result that I would like to see in each round of elections. Of course, not only in relation to LVV but with every political entity that aims or has the potential to create institutions, it is useful to have this result because it offers institutional stability," Salihu declared.
He added that with this result, the Vetëvendosje Movement has ensured convenience in relation to governance, however not necessarily efficiency.
Ramosaj: The elections showed that the blockade will not continue
Former Democratic League of Kosovo MP Berim Ramosaj said that in general the ranking of political parties is known from the election results.
He said that regarding the results obtained by LVV and LDK in relation to the past elections, it indicates a surprise in terms of reports that will be present and will reflect for a long period of time.
According to him, these elections were a break in a continuity of blockades with the aim of moving to a new political product or continuing with the same logic.
"These elections showed that the blockade will not continue. As for the presidential and other elections, they will come after a political establishment that will follow the building of institutions," he said on the show "Elections in Time."