The Weakest Link of Kosovo's Democracy - KFOS

Monopolizing The State And Institutionalizing
corruption: one year With Thaçi Government
January 2009
This is a monitoring report of Organization ÇOHU! on the first anniversary of Thaçi
government covering the period since January 2008 to this year. This report, similar
to previous ones, touches upon the most important sectors of governance in Kosova
and the citizens’ priorities based on various public polls.
Governance Logic
Focusing on Public Image
Since taking office in January 2008, it was obvious unemployment and poverty or fight
against corruption 24 , were not two priorities of this government, as Prime Minister
Thaçi had pompously declared. Instead, paving the roads and constructing as many
schools were the priorities of the government. Constructing the physical infrastructure
is one of pre-conditions for poverty and unemployment reduction, but in Kosova these
were not supported with an economic program that would list these two as priorities.
In fact, Kosovar citizens are not informed on which criteria the government sets its
priorities. Why road infrastructure and school building are priority rather than poverty
and unemployment reduction, fight against corruption, or health sector reform?
Does the Government of Kosova have a comprehensive plan that integrates priorities
and interests of Kosovar citizens, which would also include construction of roads and
schools? Or a plan where these two would be integral part of overall, sustainable, and
long-term economic development?
This government has neither economic nor governance program. But, it has a sophisticated
strategy to control public information. Two parallel processes are taking place
simultaneously. On one hand, the government is being careful to maintain its image
intact, while on the other hand numerous violations are taking place in public companies,
privatization, and governance. The government is over focusing on its public
image to hide the violations in public companies, agreements with Dardafon that are
damaging for PTK, agreement between KOSTT and Komtel, political appointments on
the boards of public companies, failed privatization, and authoritarian tendency to
control independent institutions.
Prime Minister Thaçi has also shown a tendency to fabricate history and monopolize
the truth. On government’s first anniversary report, the Prime Minister attributes all
the merits of Kosova’s independence to himself and states that declaration is a merit
of government he leads. Media controlled by the Prime Minister have initiated ungrounded
debates. Firstly, they aim to divert the opinions attention from the government’s
failure to reduce poverty, unemployment, and failure to extend authority in the
country’s north. Secondly, they tend to monopolize the truth and history attributing
24 UNDP’s Early Warning Reports show poverty, unemployment, and corruption as
three most concerning problems for Kosovar citizens. Report n0. 20/21, Special Edition,
Janar – Qershor 2008
and “Fast Facts”, Early Warning Report 23. December 2008 http://www.kosovo.undp.org/
repository/docs/Fast_Facts_23_EnglishFINAL.pdf
79
The Weakest Link of Kosovo’s Democracy
forum 2015