Kosovo ruling party blames Albanian PM over war-crimes court

PRISTINA, Oct. 16 (TemA) — Kosovo’s ruling Vetëvendosje Movement has accused Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama of having supported the creation of the Hague-based court trying former Kosovo guerrilla leaders, ahead of a protest planned in Tirana on Friday calling for justice for ex-KLA commanders.

In a social-media statement, the party said many of today’s critics of the tribunal were “its strongest promoters when it was founded.” It noted that the court originated from a 2008 Council of Europe initiative, later adopted in 2011 after a report by Swiss senator Dick Marty.

“Before protesting, these politicians should at least show some remorse for their past mistakes. A clear example is Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, who even flew to Kosovo by helicopter to persuade MPs to vote for the court’s creation,” the statement said.

Vetëvendosje urged Albania to raise the issue at international institutions, saying reflection is vital “for our progress as a state and as a nation.”