International Day of Democracy, 15 September, was marked in Pristina by various activities. The Kosovo Assembly has opened its doors to all who wish to learn about the work of this institution.
“I know that this day will be marked in different ways and probably will be shown better situation than it really is. The real truth is that democracy is only a dead letter on the paper; it does not exist in real life. Today, it is very difficult to say your position and to fight for your rights and interests. Today, when we advocate for basic rights, one recognizes it as a provocation. It is obvious that there is still a great hatred in the society. That is not a democratic atmosphere,” said the politician and Mayor of Gracanica, Branimir Stojanovic.
Serbs in Gracanica share the same opinion. “There is no democracy in Serbia, or Kosovo. This is not a democracy. The man has to have rights and obligations and that does not exist in this area. There is no security, so which democracy that is,” said a resident of Gracanica.
“Democracy is nowhere in the world, not only in Kosovo. Everyone says that it exists, but we witnessed something else, “says Nada Brkljač.
“Democracy in Kosovo does not exist, especially when it comes to women,” says Vanja Nedeljkovic.
“This day is marked in symbolic way, and it should be marked by all institutions, not just by Assembly. However, it seems that other institutions have other duties, such as the question of who is going to take which position. We’re still in the early stage of democratic development, unfortunately, but I hope that we will also gradually learn from others,” said Driton Selmani from the Kosovo Democratic Institute.
In short, democracy is the institutionalization of freedom. And question of freedom in Kosovo might be on the agenda after the decisions on coalitions and positions, as Selmani said.
