Ramush Haradinaj to run for President of Kosovo

Gazeta Express

12/08/2020 19:16

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), announced Wednesday his plan to run for president of Kosovo, adding however that he would like to succeed current president Hashim Thaci after the latter ends his five-year mandate next year.

The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) based at the Hague, mandated to prosecute alleged crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during and after the war in Kosovo 1998-200, in June 2020 announced that its prosecutors have filed an indictment against Thaci for his role with the KLA , but the indictment is yet to be confirmed by a pre-trial judge. Thaci has stated that he would resign if the war crimes indictment against him is confirmed. Also Haradinaj, who was senior commander of the KLA, has been questioned by the Hague prosecutors in 2019. Haradinaj offered his resignation as Kosovo Prime Minister after he was summoned by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, which led to collapse of Government and announcement of new elections.

Haradinaj’s position on Wednesday comes at the time when ruling coalition partners are discussing involvement of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) in the ruling coalition, whose leader Kadri Veseli has also ambitions to become the President of Kosovo. Also, the chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Isa Mustafa, whose party is leader in ruling coalition, has not excluded the possibility to become new president of Kosovo after Thaci ends his mandate in 2021.

Haradinaj said Wednesday that he got AAK’s approval to start negotiations on Government reshuffle and President’s post. “I want to thank the Steering Committee for their trust, authorizing me that on behalf of the AAK to negotiate potential reconfiguration of government, including the president’s issue. The trust I got to run for president, if this issue is discussed in line with the Constitution, I consider as a responsibility and high honor,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook. /GazetaExpress/