Baraliu: New ombudsperson must not be a political militant, but a person with knowledge and experience

Analyst Mazllum Baraliu believes that the ombudsperson’s powers in Kosovo are limited, given that the office has no executive authority, but that it serves as a point of contact for citizens wishing to report violations of their rights by institutions. He also believes that Kosovo’s new ombudsperson should not be a political militant, but a person with knowledge and experience.

“The office has very restrictive, limited powers. Unfortunately, this institution is not respected, not only in Kosovo but also throughout the Balkans. The ombudsperson has the right only to write a report, and that is all. The office has no executive authority. Whether the institution is respected or not depends on the awareness, seriousness and sense of responsibility that institutions have towards society as a whole,” Baraliu told Kosovo Online.

Speaking about outgoing ombudsperson Naim Qelaj, Baraliu said that he had carried out his mandate in accordance with the Constitution and the law, while his deputies came from minority communities.

As he noted, Qelaj should be replaced by someone who will serve as a defender and a bulwark for the protection of the rights of all citizens, and who is fair and respected.

“The person must not be a political militant, but someone with knowledge, experience and credibility in both conduct and actions. I repeat, this is not an institution that is well established or operates effectively, but it is certainly important for people to have somewhere to turn when judicial, administrative or state institutions fail to function or act in accordance with the Constitution and the law, thereby violating citizens’ rights,” Baraliu said.

Although results are often lacking, the Ombudsperson Institution is important for addressing problems, Baraliu said.

“The results are more or less negligible because the ombudsperson has no executive authority to influence or change things. Nevertheless, the Ombudsperson Institution is very important, at least for bringing problems to light and establishing what different actors have done and how institutions have acted in terms of respecting human rights and the legal rights of this country’s citizens,” he said.