Peaceful conflict between 'men of war'

Four years ago, they gave up the race, in order not to face, as they declared at the time, the Jashari family. Four years later, the political struggle between the Democratic Party of Kosovo and Bekim Jashari in Skenderaj has taken another dimension. 

Sami Lushtaku on one side, Bekim Jashari on the other side have "fought" in every house of Skenderaj to get votes. One for his fellow party member, Fadil Nura, the other for himself. The preliminary results showed the PDK candidate, Fadil Nura, as the winner with over 50%. But this result is not accepted by Bekim Jashari, who has openly accused his political opponents of stealing votes. His claim is that there was theft in the "Bulgarian train" system.

18 years after the last war, Bekim Jashari, the son of the national hero, Hamëz Jashari, announced to the public that he will enter the political race by announcing his candidacy for mayor of Skenderaj as an independent candidate in the local elections expected to be held that year.

"These days that we left behind were the most difficult days for me and my family, maybe since the post-war until today, but seeing the developments of the days that we left behind, especially the request of the citizens that I come out for the first of our municipality, I took courage and decided to run as an independent candidate for mayor of our city", was one of Jashari's sentences in August 2017 when he officially announced his entry into politics.

Until that time, neither Bekim Jashari nor any other member of his family were involved in politics.

Jashari, before becoming the Mayor of the Municipality, had been a civil servant for a while. He had served as chairman of the board at the Air Navigation Services Agency (AShNA), which manages Kosovo's air traffic. The international airport is named after his uncle, the legendary commander, Adem Jashari.

The candidacy of Bekim Jashari for mayor of Skenderaj in the local elections of 2017 was a surprise for many. There were even critical voices that opposed the involvement of the Jashari family in politics.

Until 2017, the municipality of Skenderaj, since the declaration of independence, was led by mayors who came from the ranks of the Democratic Party of Kosovo. But, when Jashari ran, PDK, which at that time had Kadri Veselin as chairman, decided to withdraw from the race, giving absolute support to Bekim Jashari.

In the local elections held in November 2017, Bekim Jashari was competing with Hysni Mehani from the Vetëvendosja Movement, Musa Dervishaj from the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) and Isa Fejzullahu from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

Jashari received 85.5% of the citizens who voted and in the first round he was put in charge of the Municipality for the next 4 years.

Support that quickly faded 

Bekim Jashari did not finish the last years of his first term as mayor the way he had started. The PDK's seemingly "uncompromising" support for him began to fade very quickly. On the other hand, even Jashari was not spared with accusations, mainly towards Lushtak.

The clash that would lead to one of the hottest contests of the local elections started between Sami Lushtak, the main man of the PDK in Skenderaj, who had been the mayor of this municipality for two terms, and the current mayor himself. But what brought the situation to this point?

The issue that was mostly discussed between the two sides was the time of the war and the activity of Sami Lushtak at that time, as the KLA commands in the Operative Zone of Drenica,

In an interview given to the Debat Plus show on RTV Dukagjini at the end of 2020, Jashari had claimed that Sami Lushtaku had stayed away from its hot spots during a period of the war. Also, according to him, during this period he had become rich and had also bought land.

"Citizens say that they saw [Sami Lushtaku] in a period staying in Kotorr e Aqarrevo, with special units of the KLA. There is no war zone there. Sami bought land during the war in district 3, the villa that he used to live in, even with former president Thaçi," said Jashari in Debat Plus on December 17, 2020.

A day after the interview, Lushtaku had declared that he would make Bekim Jashari "unhappy" if he did not belong to the Jashari family.

"I'm sorry that Mr. Jashari is protected by the aura of his family. [It has] the last name of the family, because I had it. Jashari can no longer stop Drenica and the air. For 20 years, I have been campaigning in the chambers of Drenica and I can't stop. "There is no son of mine who can stop me," Lushtaku had declared.

The mutual accusations did not remain without a trace. Jashari sought a second term, and Lushtaku announced that he would return once again for a third term. Thus, Jashari would have as his opponent the man from whom he received full support to enter politics.

At the beginning of this year, Lushtaku had openly declared that he will run for mayor of Skenderaj, saying that 'I don't give a second chance to anyone'.

"I will run for mayor of Skenderaj and of course I will have the support of the PDK. My candidacy was also supported by the mayor Veseli, during the time he was here", said Lushtaku in January of this year.

However, PDK MP Bekim Haxhiu stated otherwise in a television interview on Channel 10.

"Kadri Veseli has said that even though he is the chairman of the PDK, he does not choose a counter-candidate against a member of the Jashari family", Haxhiu had stated.

Meanwhile, right after the elections, Veseli's successor in PDK, Memli Krasniqi, declared that the race was imposed.

"It wasn't a race that we wanted. A race that was imposed on us, but we could not avoid it because Skenderaj for PDK has always been very important. It is connected to our heritage and history. This time, we could not sit idly by and leave Skenderaj, a traditional stronghold of the PDK, without an address," Krasniqi said on Kanal10 on October 21, 2021.

Despite this, Lushtaku formally received the approval of the PDK branch in Skenderaj and submitted the application to the Central Election Commission.

But before attempting the race for mayor, PDK had tried the last 'joker'.

PDK, together with Lushtak, had invited Jashari to run for the mayor of Skenderaj under the PDK flag.

"I begged him that if they want me with the Democratic Party, I told them that I am ready to help me until the end. Neither I nor the PDK in Skenderaj are ready for anyone who gave me a second chance", said Lushtaku in an answer to KALLXO.com in August 2021.

This PDK offer was quietly rejected by Jashari, thus officially opening the biggest political front in the Drenica region since the post-war. Jashar's refusal to run under the PDK logo meant open confrontation and tough competition for a second term.

The fact that he would not enjoy support from the well-organized structure of the PDK in Skenderaj, pushed Jashar to work on building a new profile as a local politician by creating a structure and a list for the assembly.

For four years as mayor, Bekim Jashari had governed Skenderaj without having a political structure of his own.

In fact, former deputy of the PDK, Nuredin Lushtaku, Sami Lushtaku's cousin, became vice-president in the government of Bekim Jashari and some of his directors were officials of the PDK branch in Skenderaj. Nuredin Lushtaku lined up behind Bekim Jashari in the October elections of this year. He was the bearer of Bekim Jashari's independent list.

He created his own independent list, which he called "Ideal for Skenderaj".

LDK, LVV and AKR did not choose their candidate for mayor, as a sign of respect for the Jashari family.

This was the first time that the PDK had an opponent who could pose a "threat" for shaking or breaking in its main stronghold, Skenderaj.

Even PDK in Skenderaj had chosen the slogan "PDK does not break".

Since the declaration of independence, in two pairs of elections - 2009 and 2013, PDK had competed with Sami Lushtak as a candidate for mayor. In both these elections, he received the trust of over 85% of those who voted.

Lushtak's well-known history with the judiciary became an insurmountable obstacle for him to face Bekim Jashari directly in the elections of October 17, 2021.  

He was not certified by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), since two months before the local elections, a conviction was confirmed by the Supreme Court.

Lushtaku was found guilty of escaping from Dubrava Prison on August 21 and September 22, 2015, while serving a 12-year sentence for war crimes in the "Drenica" case.

However, even this did not stop Lushtak. He expressed his conviction that he will be in charge of the municipality of Skenderaj.

"I assure the citizens that with their trust on October 17 for the PDK, I will be at the head of the government than Skenderaj. Skenderaj and PDK have grown and developed together", was Lushtak's first reaction after the non-certification by the CEC.

He decided to hand over the baton of candidacy to the PDK deputy, Fadil Nura. The latter had served as the deputy mayor of the Municipality during the time that Lushtaku had been mayor.

Campaign on behalf of KLA 

Unofficially, the campaign for the October 17 local elections had already started in the first months of summer, but it officially started on September 16, a month before the election day.

These local elections were the first for PDK without its two key figures, Hashim Thaçin and Kadri Veselin.

Since November last year, they have been held in a detention center in The Hague, facing charges of war crimes.

Although they were physically absent, the PDK in Skenderaj used their figures throughout the electoral campaign, seeking votes on their behalf.

Although he was not officially in the race, in the election campaign of the PDK, the center of attention was Sami Lushtaku, and the candidate Fadil Nura came in second place.

But not all of the PDK was lined up behind Lushtak of Nura. Important figures of this party had openly come out in support of Bekim Jashari.

Bekim Haxhiu, deputy of several PDK legislatures, publicly supported Bekim Jashari throughout the campaign.

"I am PDK, I am KLA, I am with the Jashari family, I am with the president Bekim Jashari and I have continued as I have been. It is the greatest honor that the PDK can do for Jashart," Haxhiu declared on Kanal10 television, where he went together with Bekim Jashar 2 days before the elections.

The mayor of the sister municipality of Skenderaj, Drenas, Ramiz Lladrovci was also one of the main people of PDK who did not support Lushtak in the heated clash between him and Jashar.

"Sami Lushtaka gives 100 for Bekim Jashari", Lladrovci declared on Television 7 in June of this year.

However, at the end of the race, when the campaign had already heated up, Lladrovci had remained silent, not declaring for the race in Skenderaj.

When Jashari took his first term, his campaign was much poorer in effort due to the support he had received from the start.

However, this election campaign was different for him.

Until these elections, it was the Jashari family that was visited by almost all politicians during election campaigns. And for the first time, Kosovo saw the emblematic figure of the Jashari family — the brother of Adem and Hamëz Jashari — Rifati, become part of the political campaign in Kosovo.

He came out alongside Bekim Jashari of voting for Bekim Jashari.

This did not happen at the time when Jashari had the "certain victory" four years ago.

The city of Skenderaj was also filled with billboards of Bekim Jashari. Next to him were the photos of Shaban, Adem and Hamëz Jashari.

PDK's "magnificent" party 

On the night of October 17, Skenderaj square resounded with music and gunfire.

The preliminary results of the CEC, which show Fadil Nura as the winner without a runoff, caused many citizens to take to the streets to celebrate PDK's victory.

One person was even injured by the gunfire.

The party of PDK sympathizers in Skenderaj was much commented on in social networks. The party was considered exaggerated.

The connoisseur of political developments in Kosovo, Artan Muhaxhiri commented on the PDK party on the night of October 17.

He says that it is difficult for political militants to be kept under control in moments of important victories. because the level of enthusiasm is maximum.

Commenting on this, Muhaxhiri highlighted the fact that Bekim Jashari's engagement in politics has implied that such moments could be expressed during his political journey.

"Bekim Jashari's engagement in active politics has necessarily also meant reaching a point of conflict between the epic heroism represented by the Jashari Family and the crude interests of the political and party systems," he says.

But according to the chairman of the PDK, the party should not hinder anyone.

"The holiday should not hinder anyone. It didn't have to hinder them because it wasn't directed at anyone. It was a party for the PDK", Memli Krasniqi commented on Television 7 about the reactions of those who spoke about the PDK party in Skenderaj.

According to Muhaxhir, the political clash of October 17 is the first time that the Jashari family has not received the maximum evaluation, because this event was of a completely different nature.

"Bekim Jashari's engagement in active politics has necessarily also meant the inevitable achievement in a conflicting moment between the epic heroism represented by the Jashari Family and the crude interests of the political and party systems. This clash happened in the local elections of October 17, when for the first time the Jashari Family was not given the maximum evaluation by the citizens. Of course, it must be repeatedly emphasized that this situation did not occur in the relevant area of ​​discourses on her sacrifice for the liberation of Kosovo, but after the transition to a completely different domain, where a special reality operates", says Muhaxhiri.

"The extraordinary symbolic capital possessed by the Jashari Family has a special place in the history of our country. However, the brutal arena of politics, in which specific rules and norms apply, has the capacity to challenge even the most sublime indicators of society", added Muhaxhiri.

In these elections, in addition to Bekim Jashari and Fadil Nura, there was also another candidate in the race for mayor of Skenderaj.

Sokol Halili from the Citizens' Initiative for Skenderaj was the third candidate, who according to the preliminary results of the CEC received 1.37% or 298 votes in total.

The ranking of political parties in Skenderaj did not change even for the assembly, except for the highest percentage.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo secured the most seats in the Municipal Assembly of Skenderaj with 54.07%. Meanwhile, Bekim Jashari's Independent List ranks second with 31.2% percent. Next is the Vetëvendosje Movement with 5.06%, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo with 2.03%, the Social Democratic Initiative with 1.87%, the Democratic League of Kosovo with 1.06%, while about 4,44% of the votes went to other parties.

The dust that rose after October 17th

The Central Election Commission started publishing data from the field on the night of November 17.

From the vote count, Fadil Nura was ahead of Bekim Jashari by a few percent.

The percentage change in relation to the Exit Poll that were published on the night of November 17 by several television stations in Kosovo, for Bekim Jashari, were the first argument to start the long contestation of the election process.

According to an Exit Poll presented by Klan Kosova a few minutes after the polls closed, Bekim Jashari would win Skenderaj with 54.8%, while PDK's candidate, Fadil Nura, ranked second with 42.2%.

In the meantime, there were accusations of vote theft in the system that was originally applied in Bulgaria and is known today as the "Bulgarian Train".

The "Bulgarian train" is a system used for vote manipulation. It means that a voter outside the polling station receives a ballot paper filled out by someone else and puts it in the ballot box. While the ballot, which he receives in a regular and sealed manner, he took out of the voting center. The same ballot is filled out and used by another voter and thus the "Bulgarian Train" system is created.

"Ideal and Drenica seem to have been robbed of their victory and future by manipulation and vote buying by those who got rich by stealing Kosovo", said Jashari in the late hours of October 17 through an article on "Facebook".

Bekim Jashari's team directed their doubts to the Electoral Panel for Submissions and Complaints (PZAP) with dozens of complaints against the PDK.

In the decisions published by PZAP on October 21, they found that eight ballots were unsealed in the ballot box for mayor of Skenderaj Municipality. While three complaints of this type were dismissed.

In most of the complaints, Bekim Jashari had asked for a recount of the votes in some centers, but PZAP rejected them on the grounds that "there is no sufficient basis and weight in the result".

On the other hand, the PDK mainly complained about breaking the electoral silence by Bekim Jashari's team. After a PDK complaint, candidate Bekim Jashari was fined 1 euros.

Decisions of the PZAP can be appealed to the Supreme Court, which has up to 72 hours to deal with any appeal that can be made by political parties.

While Bekim Jashari is closing the process of the October 17 local elections by accusing the PDK of stealing votes, this is how he welcomed her decision not to face him in 2017.

"And at the very end, allow me to welcome the decision of the Democratic Party not to put a candidate for mayor in our municipality", wrote Jashari in August 2017.

While 4 years later, Bekim Jashari was thanked in this way by the one who will replace him in the position of chairman, Fadil Nura.

"A thank you to Bekim Jashari, my opponent from the Ideal List. They led a calm campaign, which deserves to be applauded", wrote Nura, who in the same statement also expressed gratitude for Sami Lushtaku.

"It is the president Sami Lushtaku, the one who gave us the strength that was running out and the belief that victory was not unattainable", Nura wrote in the late hours of October 17. /Kallxo.com/