Kosovo's Thaci blames judiciary for corruption

03/07/2009

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said on Thursday (July 2nd) that the fragile justice system in Kosovo is an obstacle to fighting corruption. He held a news conference to respond to democracy watchdog Freedom House's latest report, published on Tuesday. It described the judiciary as one of the weakest links in Kosovo's rule of law. "Despite the improvement in the legislation, there is a general lack of political will to fight corruption," the report warned. Thaci welcomed the analysis, saying it is the most positive report on Kosovo so far, because it went on to praise the young country for showing improvement in both local and national governance.

Also Thursday, during a debate in Pristina entitled "Traditional Judiciary in Kosovo", participants said reforms are essential for establishing a stable, democratic society where the rule of law and justice are respected. OSCE High Commissioner for Minorities Knut Vollebaek said his organisation is ready to help the reform process. He added that communication between communities is key to success in Kosovo.

EULEX Justice Component chief Alberto Perduca said that for countries in transition, it is crucial for those who have committed serious violations of human rights to be prosecuted. He added that in recent months, the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office has been handling 63 war crimes cases. (Kosova Sot, Zeri, Express, Lajm - 03/07/09; RTK, TV 21 - 02/07/09)