Vlajic to Qelaj: You will either be the protector of citizens or of Pristina Government

Lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic said at the meeting on expropriation in Leposavic that the ombudsman had two difficult tasks today.

"You will either be the protector of citizens today or the protector of the government," Vlajic said to Naim Qelaj, the protector of citizens.

Vlajic added that Qelaj had a dual task: legal and political.

"The legal one is easy; even Tomas Szunyog said a few days ago that the government in Pristina does not respect the laws it enacted. The situation is clear. The law on expropriation has been grossly violated and ignored, and it is your right to speak out, and you will show that you are the protector of citizens. Your political task is difficult – to say that the government is to blame for this," Vlajic said.

He added that it was up to Qelaj to choose whether he would be the protector of citizens or of the government.

"From the first article that talks about expropriation under the Law on Expropriation, Article 3 is where abuses and violations of the law are listed. That article says that expropriation is subject to strict restrictions, procedures, rules, and conditions. This was not the case for the government in many cases because the government confiscated the land, completed construction, and made a decision. All decisions are secret, regardless of the fact that they are published in the Official Gazette. Secret because it is not specified what will be built, and if the government does not say what will be built, they cannot claim that it can be built," Vlajic said.