PM: President election prevented anarchy

Kosovo PM denies discord within LDK, declaring that snap elections would have led the country into ‘anarchy.'

Prime Minister Isa Mustafa spoke to the press on Tuesday after the Energy Security and Supply Forum, discussing the reformatting of the government, snap elections as well as the recent attacks on the Democratic League (LDK) offices.

According to Mustafa, the presidential election was more than a fulfilment of a coalition agreement between the Democratic Party (PDK) and LDK. The head of the government said that failing to elect Hashim Thaci as president of Kosovo would have led to snap elections and thus anarchy.

“We have elected the President, ensured the continuity of the institutions and saved the country from snap elections that would have led to anarchy because we are in no condition to organize new elections. If the conditions were right, nobody would be afraid of elections,” said Mustafa after the forum organized by the Ministry of Economic Development.

The opposition maintains that MPs from LDK, which Mustafa leads, were under pressure to vote for Thaci. Five LDK MPs did not attend the extraordinary session at all, some of them claiming that they would never vote for Thaci.

“No one can stop the opposition from verifying their accusations,” declared Mustafa. “They can call on the Constitutional Court. I was present that day and I have observed a perfectly constitutional process with the required number of deputies as is demanded by the Constitution and a very transparent democracy.”

Hashim Thaci was elected president after three rounds of voting, while opposition supporters were protesting outside calling for extraordinary elections. The next day Mustafa released a statement on Facebook berating LDK MPs who did not attend. Vjosa Osmani, an LDK MP who ran against Mustafa for the party leadership, replied to his accusations, claiming that Mustafa had “betrayed” LDK voters.

“LDK is in prime condition, there are no issues within LDK,” maintained Mustafa on Tuesday, as he commented the recent attacks on LDK offices in Prishtina, Gjilan, Istog, Peje, Gjakove, and Mitrovica after the presidential election on Friday.

LDK has denied the possibility that the attacks might be a result of LDK voter discontent with Thaci’s election. On Saturday, LDK released a statement blaming the opposition, evaluating that these attacks would “plunge the country into chaos and anarchy.”

In similar vein, Mustafa blamed the opposition parties for the attacks.

“There are no issues within LDK, however there are problems outside of LDK because they are attacking us and attempting to make us accountable. This is unfair because LDK is a state-forming party, a party that is responsible for build the institutions of the republic of Kosovo.”

Unknown culprits have also attacked the private property of a few MPs and party officials PDK. On Monday, an attempt to incinerate the private family car of Adem Grabovci, a PDK MP, was made. Condemning the attacks, PDK released a statement claiming that the culprits  were attempting “to create a climate of fear and uncertainty in Kosovar society.”

and 02/03/2016 - 09:50

02 March 2016 - 09:50

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