Kosovo’s Independent Media Commission, ICM, elected a new chairman on Friday amidst claims of political interference and allegations that members were attempting to unlawfully dismiss the current chairman, Jeton Mehmeti. 

Changes were made to ICM’s internal regulations allowing the election of a new chairman or vice-chairman up to one month before the expiration of their terms. 

The newly elected ICM chairman Besnik Berisha said that he “was surprised by the news that ICM members were planning to dismiss the chairman just three days before his mandate ends. This is completely false. No one had such plans.” He explained that the issue of electing a new chairman had been placed on the agenda to avoid leaving the commission without leadership.

With chairman Mehmeti’s term set to expire on January 20, 2025, Berisha stressed the importance of resolving the leadership issue promptly to avoid any disruption to ICM’s operations after this date.

However, Mehmeti disagreed with the proposal to elect a new chairman at today’s meeting. He argued that the election should be held after the completion of his mandate, or only if he were dismissed, and rejected the idea of an urgent change.

“The election of a new chairman should be done in the following session after the current chairman’s mandate ends. The argument that we could be left without a chairman is unfounded. The oldest member of the new body serves as the representative of ICM until the body is formally constituted,” Mehmeti explained.

Berisha, ICM’s newly elected chairman, argued that Mehmeti is not being dismissed, only that the ICM is following a similar practice to the Constitutional Court  “where the chairman is elected earlier.”

Mehmeti left the Board meeting after the break.

“Given that the majority of ICM members have voted to elect a new chairperson, I do not feel legal certainty to continue the meeting. We cannot sit in the same room as two chairpersons, and for me, my mission as the chairman of ICM ends here,” Jeton Mehmeti added.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo, AJK, expressed concern over the process of electing the new chairman of the ICM, describing it as an “open attempt to politicize and instrumentalise the commission for the ruling party’s interests.”

“The election of Besnik Berisha as ICM chairman raises legal questions about the amendment of ICM’s regulations, which stipulate that a new chairman should be elected at the first meeting following the expiration of the current chairman’s mandate or their dismissal,” the association stated.

Media lawyer Flutura Kusari warned on social media on Friday morning that ICM would attempt to illegally dismiss the chairman during today’s meeting.

“The purpose of the dismissal is to seize the position of chairman and vice-chairman before the new ICM members are elected. According to the votes they have, the chairman and vice-chairman will elect themselves and will become the most illegitimate leaders in ICM’s history. This decision will certainly be immediately challenged in court,” Kusari stated.

She further added that this development would significantly impact the continued decline of media freedom and would be noted in all international assessments.

“This clandestine change of the regulation, without even being included in the agenda, is evidence that this is an illegal and political process. Such a change of the regulation in this manner is also unlawful,” she wrote.