Prenkaj: Shiroka Pula must uncompromisingly uphold constitutional order in the functioning of institutions

Diplomat Albert Prenkaj said that Kosovo’s new president, Justina Shiroka Pula, must first and foremost guarantee respect for the Constitution and ensure that institutions function in accordance with their constitutional powers.

“The president is the guarantor of the Constitution and constitutional order. This is the highest priority of any president, in accordance with the Constitution. The president should strive to uphold constitutional principles in the functioning of all Kosovo institutions without compromise. That is the main priority,” Prenkaj told Kosova Press.

He added that Shiroka Pula could also play a particularly important role in foreign policy and help intensify communication with international partners.

“A person with credibility and integrity, as Justina Shiroka Pula is believed to be, can bring Kosovo back onto the international stage, given that Kosovo is currently isolated in terms of communication with the rest of the world. There is a kind of isolation, or we have a completely passive foreign policy. In this regard, she can be an important figure, despite the fact that we have a foreign minister and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Given Kosovo’s current circumstances, I believe the president has a special role to play,” Prenkaj said.

In addition, Prenkaj sees the new president as someone who can bring together experts on matters relating to the judicial proceedings against former KLA leaders.

He believes that one of the first steps should also be to establish official communication with Brussels and The Hague on issues concerning international agreements and the Specialist Chambers.

“However, what is important, and what we have seen over the past 20 days, is for the president to become the central figure around whom experts will gather to play an important state-level role in defending, or proving the innocence of, KLA leaders and former senior state officials, including the president, the speaker of the Assembly and members of parliament. The adopted amendments to the law should lead to an amendment of the existing international agreement,” Prenkaj said.

Justina Shiroka Pula was elected president of Kosovo on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, October 6 and 7, shortly before the constitutional deadline expired. She received the support of 81 members of parliament after amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers had been adopted.