It is not really our fault that people are fed up with asphalt and now they want kifle with a scoop of honesty.
Every time politicians believed that they were truly untouchable; that the votes were in the bag; that they could win the elections without lifting a finger while dismissing ‘unworthy’ rivals or making illegal demands for triple the amount of airtime during electoral debates; the people have, truly, slapped them in the face!
Not only did the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, strategically withdraw from the #DebatPernime 2017 debates–full of arrogance and without a hint of panic–but it also tried miserably to stop its coalition partners the Alliance of the Future of Kosovo, AAK, and NISMA from coming.
Blerand Stavileci thought that the PDK HQ’s arrogance would be hushed. But of course, we do not stoop to the low level of tabloids and other corrupt media outlets, even when rocks get thrown at us. Because we are genuine and honest, and because our professional ethics, we wouldn’t even throw bread rolls at the thankless. Even rolls might hurt them, because they are as fragile as newborn swallows in the foggy spring.
We did not attack them with bread or with rocks. We only informed the audience on what was happening with due diligence. We tried to shed some light and uncover everyone’s faces. We also greeted them wholeheartedly during each and every DebatPernime electoral debate. It is really not our fault that people are fed up with asphalt and now want kifle!
PDK’s decision cost us tremendously. We were forced to spend twice as much time on making sure the panelists would participate in the debates in order to provide the audience with a debate between all political parties. This was the only way to ensure we had Real Debates, as our name goes, although this meant less time to get ourselves some rest; elections are weddings, and during weddings, no one gets to sleep, and at the end of the day, we are talking about our honor here!
Both the audience and the voters have truly demonstrated that they do not want to be represented by arrogant politicians who lead through Facebook statuses, and ‘amicable’ interviews conducted by timid journalists of the sold-out media.
Kosovo is the only country in the region where there is still space for open debate, sincere and straightforward debates, during which public interests are addressed. Yet the shameless politicians often don’t prefer these open debates.
Albania, Macedonia, Serbia… it’s been awhile since these countries have witnessed real debates between political candidates on their media outlets. They only have simulated debates with politically-biased journalists, paid to disgust the audience by information.
I remember Hashim Thaci when he was in opposition before 2007. He loved us a lot back then, since we were critical of the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, which was in power. As soon as he took the throne, he ‘blocked’ us for the next ten years, because we were criticizing him a lot. Isa Mustafa did the same. The same with Avdullah Hoti, also known as Dulla. Even Kadrush (Kadri Veseli + Ramush Haradinaj = Kadrushi) are heading towards the same direction.
The Kosovo voter has made it pretty clear: go out in the square; participate in debates, but only real debates; and answer the questions sincerely and straightforwardly, with everyone treated equally and no one getting favors.
As such, I am proudly declaring to my children that there is still #DebatPernime with a real face in Kosovo.
Political parties might favor and treat carefully their respective pretenders striving to lead the country, but the voters have already decided to ignore the arrogant politicians by encouraging them to stay home.