As he gets ready to take on the post of Kosovo president, Hashim Thaci is facing mounting speculation of whether he could be summoned to the court due to open in The Hague this year, trying crimes allegedly committed by senior KLA members, Koha writes quoting an AFP report. The president-elect has expressed his “full support” for the new war crimes court, despite a question mark hanging over whether he himself will be indicted.

Pristina (AFP) - Kosovo's president-elect has pledged to "fully support" a new war crimes court prosecuting members of the guerrilla group he once led -- despite a question mark hanging over whether he himself will be indicted.

Hashim Thaci, elected by parliament in February as the next head of state, made his name as political leader of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which fought against Serbia for independence in the late 1990s.

Kosovo’s President-elect, Hashim Thaci, in an interview with Albania-based newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare, said the recent crisis in Kosovo is only temporary and that every democracy went through such phases. “We are a young country and it will take some time for us to adjust our political culture with the advanced democratic system,” Thaci said, adding that as Kosovo President, he will work to strengthen democracy and rule of law in Kosovo.

By Shpend Kursani

While Isa Mustafa will be the mascot of future state violence, the magnitude it will take will depend on how much of it PDK wants to use against opposition parties and citizens.

Before February 26, Hashim Thaçi desperately needed Isa Mustafa. Since February 26, Isa Mustafa desperately needs Hashim Thaçi. This is very dangerous for Kosovo’s very near future.

 Kosovo Assembly President, Kadri Veseli, said after the meeting of the Assembly Presidency that the next Assembly session will be held on Thursday. He added that the next sessions will concern visa liberalization. “We will hold e session on 10 March to discuss ten issues of the agenda. We will hold an additional session after 10 March. The European Union is priority. Fulfillment of the criteria for visa liberalization are the conditions that we have to work on, therefore we will hold two sessions soon,” Veseli said.

Aida Derguti, from Vetevendosje movement has just left the meeting of the Assembly Presidency, and told media that the next Assembly session will be held on Thursday. She said that she tried to object this decision, however she was incapable to change anything. “The session will be held on Thursday, we will obstruct holding of this session as well. In the meantime, we will send the case of manner of the election of the President of Kosovo at the Constitutional Court. This is the position of the united opposition,” Derguti said.

Newspaper Fjala, has learned from its sources within the opposition parties that the united opposition has decided not to send the issue of Hashim Thaci’s election for president at the Constitutional Court. The President’s mandate and pledge are determined by Article 87 of the Constitution. Point 1 stresses that the President of the Republic starts the mandate after the pledge at the Assembly of Kosovo. Fjala newspaper contacted officials of the opposition parties, however they did not want to speak about this issue.

Enver Hoti, member of the Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) spoke for KTV about the further steps of opposition to object Hashim Thaci’s election for President and to bring down the government. He said that they are preparing to send the issue of election of the president to the Constitutional Court and that they are preparing for the new protest. He added that eventual finding of irregularities on border demarcation with Montenegro will cause additional problems to Thaci.

The recently elected president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said in an interview for Tribuna Channel that he would not return to the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) after conclusion of his mandate as president. He added that his return would not be healthy for democracy. According to him, it would not be good to return from the position of president to the party or to create a new one. “Return to the party, establishment of a new party or return at an executive level, are closed processes for me,” Thaci said.

Op-ed by Kosovo’s President-elect Hashim Thaci