The Kosovo Assembly elected a new government led by Albin Kurti at an extraordinary session last night.
66 MPs voted in favor of the election of the Government, which Kurti will lead for the third time, 49 voted against, and there were no abstentions.
MPs from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo, the Serbian List, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo voted against the election of Kurti's government.
After the vote for the Government, Kurti and his cabinet ministers took the oath in the Parliament.
After the presentation, in the discussion that followed, the president of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK), Bedri Hamza, said that at the first regular session of the new Assembly, he would seek the adoption of a resolution demanding a fair, impartial trial in accordance with international standards and respect for human rights for the indictees in The Hague.
He sought full support for this resolution and called on all party and institutional leaders to participate in a protest march on February 17th in support of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who are on trial in The Hague.
Hamza said that the PDK would abstain during the debate at the constituent session, but would provide support in reaching consensus on issues of great importance, such as the election of the president and the ratification of international agreements.
"Supporting the consensus is not a sign of weakness, but of state responsibility. We will contribute to agreements in the interest of Kosovo, but without compromising on the state interest," Hamza said.
He, however, criticized the exposé of the new government's prime minister-designate, Albin Kurti, saying that it was more about promises and issues that had no basis for funding.
LDK President Ljumir Abdixiku said that the Democratic League of Kosovo accepts its role in the opposition, but that it is not giving up, that it is also ready for institutional cooperation in the Assembly on more important issues, and expressed hope that this function will be performed "with maturity, patience and awareness of the role that the Assembly has in the democratic life of Kosovo."
"LDK expresses its readiness for institutional cooperation in Parliament on topics that go beyond parliamentary arithmetic because we believe that the stability of the state is built with maturity, respect for the opposition and the awareness that democracy is not just a matter of numbers, but a matter of political culture," he told MPs.
Besnik Tahiri from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo criticized Prime Minister-designate Albin Kurti for the cabinet he presented to MPs, saying that the cabinet is "an adjustment of the government aimed at pushing a purely party agenda."
Tahiri added that the number of ministers in the cabinet is too large for Kosovo and asked Kurti if he knew that he had formed a cabinet "the size of the state of China, not Kosovo."
Igor Simić from the Serbian List said that his party would not support the formation of a government and accused the previous government of violating the rights of the Serbian people.
"I take this opportunity to say that the Serbs from the Serbian List have nothing against the Albanian people with whom we have lived, live and will continue to live. But we will be against policies that aim to expel our people," said Simić.
He stated that Prime Minister-designate Albin Kurti's exposé did not mention Serbs anywhere, and also complained about the proposal of Nenad Rašić for Minister of Communities and Returns.
"He received his mandate in Parliament with votes from places where there have been no Serbs for decades. Those were not Serb votes. You have the right to appoint him as a minister, but you know that he will never be a minister representing Serbs. For everything you have done, because of the violations committed, the Serbian List will not support the formation of this government," said Simić.
The session to form the Government was held after the constituent session that inaugurated the 10th convocation of the Kosovo Assembly, elected in the elections on December 28th.
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Kurti: We will invest a billion euros in defense, recruit new soldiers, increase the number of officers
During his presentation to MPs last night, Kurti also promised an investment of one billion euros in the defense sector.
"In the next four years, we will strengthen alliances, invest a billion euros in defense, recruit new soldiers, increase the number of officers, functionalize the ammunition factory, develop Kosovo's military industry and produce combat drones 'Made in Kosovo,'" Kurti said, explaining the program of the new Kosovo Government.
He promised major investments in renewable energy and water resources, as well as the development of manufacturing industries in Kosovo.
He stressed the importance of supporting women's employment and caring for grandparents who help raise children, while the minimum wage is planned to increase in line with economic development.
In the field of education, the new government will continue reforms and link educational programs to the needs of the labor market, Kurti said.
It is planned to increase support for early education and introduce a voucher system for parents who enroll their children in private kindergartens.
Also, five specialized high schools will be opened throughout Kosovo.
Speaking about priorities in healthcare, Kurti emphasized that every citizen will have their own family doctor and a mandatory annual medical examination.
He announced the construction of new hospitals in Mitrovica and Ferizaj, while the budget for the basic list of medicines will be increased to 100 million euros.
Kurti promised support for farmers, guaranteeing a market for any standardized and certified production.
He also announced investments in sports infrastructure, including the renovation of football stadiums across Kosovo.
Kurti: Crimes against humanity were committed against Albanian civilians in Kosovo, perpetrated by the Yugoslav-Serbian regime under Milosevic
Kurti began his address to the Kosovo Parliament, where he presented the program and composition of the Government, by stating that the Special Prosecution's proposal to punish former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) with 45 years in prison "is not in line with the truth and denies the historical and political context of the liberation struggle of the people of Kosovo."
He said that the session for the formation of the Government and the constituent session of the Assembly were held late due to the trial of former KLA leaders in The Hague - Hasim Thaci, Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veselji.
"The position of the Government of the Republic that I lead remains clear: crimes against humanity were committed in Kosovo against Albanian civilians, committed by the Yugoslav-Serbian regime under Milosevic. This is documented and internationally recognized. Equating the leaders of the KLA with a genocidal regime is untenable," Kurti said.
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