The statement by the acting Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, who attributed the merits for visa liberalization to the Kurti Government, has caused strong reactions from former opposition MPs.
Vlora Çitaku of PDK and Jehona Lushaku-Sadriu of LDK accused the minister of trying to take credit for a process that, according to them, has been taking place for years and without the contribution of Vetëvendosje.
Vlora Çitaku stated that Vetëvendosje's "only contribution" to the visa liberalization process has been tear gas in the Parliament and years of delays.
She ironically said that with this approach, VV "will soon say that it has also declared the independence of Albania and liberated Kosovo."
"Go to the pharmacy and see citizens without money even for medicine. Meet a pensioner who saves his bread for energy. Do your job and then brag," Çitaku wrote to Murat.
Former LDK MP Jehona Lushaku-Sadriu also reacted harshly, saying that Murati is taking pride in the work of others, while having nothing to show for Vetëvendosje's governance.
She recalled that VV years ago opposed the demarcation with Montenegro – the last condition for visa liberalization – causing, according to her, ten-year delays. “The queues for visas were your fault,” Lushaku-Sadriu emphasized.
She added that Kosovo is now “under sanctions and more isolated than ever,” accusing the government of losing over 1 billion euros in international assistance. “How many schools, roads, and projects would have been built with those grants that you lost to Kosovo?” she asked.
The reactions of the two former MPs followed Murati's statement, who said that visa liberalization was achieved despite the "isolation of the state by previous governments" and that the Kurti Government was decisive in concluding the process.
The debate has revived old controversies about the role of each side in this long-standing issue./Telegraph.
