Thaci’s indictment: these questions need to be answered
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It is almost a week now since the ominous moment when the charges of the Special prosecutor’s office at the Hague against Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, former Assembly Speaker Veseli and others were made public just hours before the first one was to step on an airplane carrying him to Washington D.C.
The cascade effects of this thunderbolt announcement precipitated quickly. The scheduled meeting of June 27 at the White House between Thaci and Vucic was cancelled. The European Union stepped in quickly to try and resume its mediator role, almost irreparably damaged due to years’ long ineffectiveness and loss of credibility especially in Kosovo.
The internal dynamics of Kosovo politics was shaken from its very core with outrage and further polarization threatening stability. Nationalistic rhetoric is back full force by others who want to step in and scoop some political capital for themselves.
Almost a week after this storm, most of the questions that are churning in the minds and mouths of analysts, reporters, politicians, decision makers but also ordinary citizens remain unanswered paving the way for the prominence of dangerous conspiracy theories.
Why were these charges made public two months after they were ready?
The decision to press on with them is reported by the prosecutor’s office to have been made since April whereas they came forward to the media in June. In an unusual anonymous reaction an official from the State Department described them as the product of decades’ long investigation.
If so, why was this timing chosen: just prior to the announced White House meeting? Can we truly believe that prosecutors could not anticipate the destructive effect this would have on the meeting and on the entire process?
Why would the National Security Advisor of the President of the United States bring to the White House a person soon to be officially charged with war crimes by an American prosecutor?
Experts can only ponder on what exactly is going on in the tug of war between the Trump administration and the state institutions as well as in the transatlantic fight for clout that has produced such a vehemently risky and negative dynamic. Why this “shattering of plates” in a region where the West has invested enormous amounts of military, political, economic and diplomatic capital?
These questions need to be answered because first and foremost the stability, security and progress of the state of Kosovo is now entirely dependent on the outcome of these developments, on the fate of the accusations and potential trial.
The whole sentiment of the Kosovo public opinion is now poisoned with the lack of transparency, lack of understanding but most of all with the lack of justice. This comes on top of the already strained relation with the EU itself who has failed even to accomplish a minor free movement decision for the citizens of Kosovo.
The stability of the entire Western Balkan region as well as the progress of any regional cooperation process is now thwarted by yet another episode of a difficult saga that sees former UCK leaders perpetually on trial whereas on the other side most of the perpetrators of grave war crimes committed in Kosovo, in Bosnia, in Croatia have yet to face charges
The prospect of any hope for a dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo and any reconciliation between Albanians and Serbs stands most vulnerable than ever, almost on the edge of a precipice
The legitimacy and credibility of all international organizations especially of the key western partners,the United States and the EU and all their institutions is severely at stake and there are dark shadows of doubt influencing public opinion and political rhetoric in all the region.
That is why these questions need to be answered! With full disclosure and without wasting precious time!
