Laci: Rama needs the KLA to boost his patriotic credibility

Journalist and analyst from Tirana, Dritan Laci, told Kosovo Online that the protest in support of former KLA leaders currently held in custody by the Special Court in The Hague, held on Friday in Tirana, has caused a new rift between Albin Kurti, Kosovo’s acting prime minister, and Edi Rama, Albania’s prime minister. However, he says this is not surprising, as their conflict has roots in the past.

“The court in The Hague that is conducting this trial is an institution to which Albania has no access, and neither does Kosovo, despite the fact that it was approved by the votes of the Kosovo Assembly. The protest held in Tirana was symbolic in nature, it demonstrated strength, but it also created a clash that caused a rift between Kurti and Rama. And, as is often the case among Albanians, people want to find out who is to blame for the establishment of the Special Court. The Special Court is now a fact, and it represents a major mistake that was made. As Albanians tend to do, our leaders are trying to discover who made the bigger mistake, instead of finding out who is truly guilty in this story,” Laci said.

Responding to criticism from Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement, which claimed that Rama had flown to Kosovo by helicopter for an emergency visit to persuade parties to vote for the creation of the Special Court, Edi Rama recently said that Self-Determination would prefer for Thaci to remain in The Hague forever. Laci, however, believes Kurti does not benefit from Thaci’s continued detention.

“If you look at the ‘map’ of political influence in Kosovo, Thaci’s party is still very strong in many areas, meaning the KLA remains powerful across much of Kosovo. This means Kurti needs to cooperate with the political force of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, that is, with the KLA, which maintains a significant presence in many areas, as was evident in the recent elections. I don’t think Kurti gains anything from Thaci being in The Hague,” Laci said.

Speaking about Rama’s attitude toward the KLA, the analyst said that the Albanian prime minister needs the KLA to boost his patriotic credibility.

“What Rama is doing happens because the prime minister has always been somewhat indecisive. The Open Balkan initiative had a negative impact, and his frequent visits to Serbia have certainly weakened his image in Kosovo, that is obvious. Unlike some of his predecessors, who had a certain authority in Kosovo, Rama is weaker in that regard. He needs such actions, which serve as a kind of ‘crutch’, he needs the KLA to enhance his patriotic credibility or even to cover up some domestic problems, of which there are quite a few,” Laci stated.

He added that the conflict between Kurti and Rama may have started over Open Balkan, and later over differing positions related to Kosovo.

“In Albania, we need to understand that Kosovo is developing the mentality of an independent state, with its own institutions, and that it is trying to break away from the official line of what is called ‘Mother Albania’. It seems that in Albania this has not yet been understood, or there is no willingness to understand it. I’m speaking about the way our leaders act or react. This mentality prevents them from accepting that Kosovo is a state with its own governing policies,” Laci explained.

When it comes to national-level politics, he said, politicians on both sides must unite.