Today, Adriatik Kelmendi praised the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, for participating in the meeting called by the President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga, in an attempt to find a solution to the political crisis. “To reach a situation that is beneficial for all, often one must act courageously, despite the danger this may incur for one’s personal position. There is no doubt that this is applicable to Ramush Haradinaj,” Kelmendi writes.
According to Kelmendi, all parties contributed to the five-month political blockade but none of them valued Haradinaj’s decision to carry this heavy burden on his shoulders. He decided to participate in the meeting, despite the Vetevendosje movement and NISMA’s objections, to face his two political opponents, Mustafa and Thaci. Afterwards, he was harshly criticized by Ymeri and Limaj, and insulted by Mustafa and Thaci. However, he adds, Haradinaj made the right decision and demonstrated that he is ready to sacrifice himself in his efforts to push forward the project he believes in. Kelmendi notes that after the meeting, Thaci rushed to state that the opposition is motivated by the wrong causes and that Haradinaj would do anything in to grab the power, forgetting that he himself is rushing to grab another form of power, that of the President. He says that Thaci intends on becoming President based on an agreement between PDK, LDK and minority communities, forgetting another agreement reached earlier between PDK, LDK, AKR and the U.S. Embassy on Law reforms the President to be voted directly by the people. Kelmendi also criticizes PM Isa Mustafa for not dealing with the remarks of the Constitutional Court and for reiterating his earlier statement that elections will be held only in 2018. According to Kelmendi, none of these statements express the will of the parties to resolve problems through dialogue. “On the contrary, this proves that all parties are interested in deepening crisis, which would harm Kosovo and its people.”
Kelmendi considers that criticism by Ymeri and Limaj was also unfair. “I believe that it is clear to both Vetevendosje and NISMA that without AAK, they would not have a united opposition nor the long blockade of the Assembly. Furthermore, even the protests in Pristina would not have been as massive without AAK,” writes Kelmedi, adding that only AAK is able to gather ten thousand people. He notes that NISMA should also be aware that it is difficult for anyone to feel a sense of belonging to a party with a leader that has to appear in court every week because of corruption accusations.
Kelmendi finally explains that he does not want to defend Haradinaj or AAK, because they can also be criticized on certain issues, but that he values their effort to open the way to a solution. According to him, all party leaders, some more and some less, are to be blamed for the created situation. “They all have the key to the solution in their own hands, however, they appear to have been incapable of finding the right door so far. The meeting with the President was only a first step. There are always more doors that can be opened,” concludes Kelmendi.
