Albin Kurti, former leader of the Vetevendosje Movement is not optimistic that the requests of the protest planned for 18 April, will be fulfilled. He claims that the demands are realistic and feasible, therefore they would continue with protests even after 18 April.

Albin Kurti, the former leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, said during a debate organized by the Pristina-based non-governmental organization FOL [Speak Up], that Kosovo needs a leftist party, “because right-wing parties have been governing Kosovo for 15 years now and the people are forced to flee the country”. “The time has come for a social democratic government,” Kurti added.

Albin Kurti, the outgoing leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, met today at the  Vetevendoje headquarters the Ambassador of Finland in Kosovo, Anne Meskanen. During this meeting Kurti requested clarification for EULEX’s one and a half billion euros spent in Kosovo.

Kurti stressed that instead of adding the special court to Kosovo, EULEX should give account to the European tax-payers for the one and a half billion Euros spent in Kosovo.

Vetevendosje announced preliminary results of party elections that took place between 21 and 22 February. According to the results, Visar Ymeri received over 96 percent of votes, making him the new Vetevendosje leader. Official results are expected to be announced on Sunday at the meeting of Vetevendosje’s general council.

Vetevendosje MPs, Albulena Haxhiu and Glauk Konjufca, presented in a press conference the document on the establishment of the special court that includes two constitutional amendments and one draft law. Haxhiu said it is unjust to keep the document confidential as they endanger the freedom of the people of Kosovo. She interpreted the document by stating that the special court is set to consist of only international judges and that all those that will be sentenced by the court will serve their sentences outside the territory of Kosovo.

The outgoing leader of Vetevendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, stated today that the agreement between the Prime Ministers of Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels, was reached stealthily from the population and Assembly of Kosovo.

This is the winter of discontent in Kosovo. The lingering euphoria over independence in 2008 has given way to frustration with economic stagnation and political squabbling. Unemployment sits at 45 percent, and an estimated 500,000 of Kosovo’s 1.8 million citizens — the vast majority of whom are ethnic Albanians — live on less than $2 a day. On Jan. 24 and Jan. 27, some 15,000 Kosovars took to the streets to protest corruption and poverty.

Vetevendosje MP Albulena Haxhiu told KTV that dismissal of Communities and Returns Minister Aleksandar Jablanovic is a victory of the Kosovo people achieved through the Vetevendosje protests. She said the Wednesday protest has been called off but that there will be a new protest demanding the transformation of the Trepca mining complex into a public enterprise.  Haxhiu said the next protest could take place as early as next week but that its exact time is being coordinated with other opposition parties.

Albin Kurti, the leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, told RTK today that the dismissal of Communities and Returns Minister Aleksandar Jablanovic was a good lesson for all ministers of the Kosovo government. He said that the coalition of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with the Serbian List was wrong. Kurti suggested that the PDK and LDK should respect the Constitution of Kosovo by including in the government people like Nenad Rasic "who don’t insult the people of Kosovo and respect the state of Kosovo".

The Vetevendosje Movement on Tuesday filed criminal charges against the Kosovo Police commanders, for allegedly ordering police officers to exercise violence against protesters on 27 January. Albulena Haxhiu, member of the Vetevendosje Movement, said that on these criminal charges are included cases of violence exerted by Kosovo police, and that these are charges for misuse of official position, threatening lives and torture.