Head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group, Avdullah Hoti, said that there can be no justice for Kosovo Liberation Army fighters without all stakeholders providing authentic lists of who took part in the conflict. In a Facebook post, Hoti wrote: “Only once those lists are made public, will the true fighters receive deserved recognition…Until then, tax money from Kosovo’s poor citizens will be unjustly used.” Hoti further added that his party would strongly support any move aimed at “full enlightenment” of this process.

Head of the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans’ Association, Hysni Gucati, said in a press conference that they consider the specialist chambers to be a biased institution and that it needs to try all those that have committed crimes, including Serbs. Gucati said they have decided to launch a petition against the specialist chambers to have the Assembly reexamine the issue.

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, met today a group of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans who are protesting over the discontinuance of their pensions as of August under the justification that the budget needs to be reviewed. The veterans are also accusing the head of the KLA veterans association, Hysni Gucati, of manipulating the lists of veterans in exchange for money.

Representatives of KLA veterans associations have called on the Kosovo Assembly MPs to urgently vote on changing the law on special court so that it included trying crimes committed by Serb forces in Kosovo. KLA war association representatives made the call from inside the Assembly following the French court postponing a decision on the possible extradition Ramush Haradinaj to Serbia. KLA veterans said they would not leave the Assembly until the MPs vote on the changes proposed earlier in the session by PDK MP, Nait Hasani.

Three opposition parties – Vetevendosje, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) – will submit to the Constitutional Court request to review the legality of the amended law on Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans passed by the Kosovo Assembly on 30 December 2016. In a statement to the media, Vetevendosje said MPs Aida Derguti and Time Kadrijaj will submit the request today. The opposition claims the law has wrongly categorized KLA veterans.

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said today that his government has no funds and no ways to pay for pensions of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans. He said that the government commission, which prepared the list of KLA members eligible for a pension, had assured him that there would be no more than 12,000 people on the list. “Now, there are almost 30,000. If we pay for those who do not deserve the public money, we slide into corrupt activity”, said Mustafa at the meeting of the government.

Kosovo’s Minister of Finance, Avdullah Hoti, said today that his ministry has not managed to secure sufficient funds to provide pensions for the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans. He said the number of veterans is increasing and the total amount of money dedicated for their pensions is not being approved by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “It is important we find a solution as soon as possible but as things stand, at present there are no funds,” said Hoti.

The Association of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans has expressed concern over the border demarcation process with Montenegro saying it has caused a huge rift of the Kosovo society. The KLA veterans  consider that the arguments presented by relevant experts opposing the agreement are right.  “Kosovo needs its western allies but we don’t believe our allies would support the shrinking of our territory,” reads a press release issued by the KLA association. It goes on to call on the Kosovo Assembly not to ratify the border demarcation agreement in the current version.

The Kosovo government reviewed today the report of the commission for recognition and verification of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans. Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Arban Abrashi, said the commission has completed the verification process and concluded that there are 46,230 war veterans. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said this figure exceeds all estimates of budgetary sustainability.  He said that while the government acknowledges the commission’s report, certain issues are yet to be regulated.

Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans said in a press conference that their position against the establishment of the specialized chambers remains unchanged. They said that if Kosovo does not establish it, neither can the UN Security Council for the fact it has not recognised Kosovo as an independent country. Veterans called on all those who oppose the specialized chambers to join them tomorrow from 9.30 in front of the Kosovo Assembly building.