QOSJA "SAVES" RUGOVA'S DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE OF KOSOVO

AIM Pristina, 22 April, 1998

The central event on the Albanian political scene in the past week was the establishment of the committee for organizing the New Democratic League of Kosovo, at the head of which came Rexhep Qosja, member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts, once a highly esteemed personage among Kosovo Albanians, but also the one who "managed" to be attributed the epithet of one of the most controversial intellectuals, especially after his "blanco" support to the neo-communist Albanian government of Fatos Nano.

In fact, the main ideologist of this faction of the Democratic League of Kosovo (DSK), which has for a few years been active within the greatest party in Kosovo is Hydajet Hyseni, former vice president of the DSK, who was tireless in his criticism of the leadership of his party, but never dared declare himself against president Ibrahim Rugova, whom he is nowadays calling the main culprit for the "crisis in DSK". Judging by some assessments, it seems that the DSK cannot be said to be the "national movement" any more, as some of its members liked to stress for years, but it has acquired a definite "profile" as its current leadership evaluates. And while the former wish to reorganize it again into a national movement, the latter continue their efforts, but with a distinct right orientation this time.

In fact, clear distinction between two greatest political blocks within the DSK occurred on the third election convention of this party on 25 February this year. Since a part of the former highest leadership of the party did not succeed in taking the sufficient number of seats in the main board of the DSK, they withdrew their candidacy, following the example of the leader of the "left faction", Hydajet Hyseni, who definitely disassociated himself from Rugova at that convention, threatening that he would "fight to the very end", and quoting thoughts of Ploto and all the way to Sartre. After the convention, where Rugova's faction won, the defeated supporters of Hyseni demanded that the convention be continued because they considered it to have been just interrupted, but Ibrahim Rugova not only disregarded their demand but continued with constituting the bodies of the party. In such a situation, Mr. Hyseni nad his followers could do nothing but make the step they had planned to make a long time ago - to found a new party. However, the new party headed by Hydajet Hyseni and like-minded persons who bear the label of "left provenance", would hardly have any chance to be accepted in Kosovo and that is why they postponed coming out in public with the committee for organizing the New Democratic League of Kosovo, although preparations were completed almost a month ago.

Circles close to this political block knew that Hyseni, Hairizi, Musmarati, Payaziti, Buia, two Kastratis and a few others will try to win over members of the DSK by insisting on the continuity of the "national movement", expecting the largest number of members (which amounts to the total of 700 thousand) to join them, that is to turn their backs on Rugova and enable them quite easily to become the new largest and most influential party of Kosovo Albanians which they managed to "save". And in order to "preserve the continuity of a national movement", after numerous consultations, chose Rexhep Qosja to head the organization, who likes to call himself the "father of the nation" and who was very persistent in the (unsuccessful) attempts to spiritually unite the Albanians by having formed the "Committee for National Reconciliation", the "Forum of the Albanian Intellectuals", the "Association for National Union" and many other associations which had the aspiration to raise above the organizational and institutional level of Albania and Kosovo, always with no success. That is how the "angry Malisor", Rexhep Qosja made huimself the head of the new organizing committee of the New DSK in order to "preserve continuity of the party" which he has never been a member of and which he attacked the most especially at the time when Hyseni and his supporters were in its leadership. Qosja's contradictions reached a climax when disorders in Albania were in full swing, which despite its tragic outcome, he called the "democratic revolution". He was the guest of honour of Fatos Nano at the celebration of the Day of the Albania, on 29 November, when in Valona which experienced the greatest tragedy, Qosja said: "I am happy to see joy on the faces of these people". This statement was evaluated in Kosovo as just another "pearl" in the necklace of the "angry Malisor" who raged against former president Berisha, because it was preposterous to see joy on faces of people who had lost even several members of their families in the "democratic revolution".

The very attempt to gather membership around Qosja, the committee for organizing the New DSK, or as they say for "saving the DSK", was a fundamental mistake. This new political block, if the attempt to take over the existing DSK is eliminated, could have been a positive novelty on the political scene of Kosovo, if a destroyed authority were not chosen to be at its head. Qosja who causes admiration of some Albanians, but nowadays causes abhorrence of many, could hardly be more productive than the Albanian symbol of resistance Adem Demaqi, whose election for the head of the Parliamentary Party of Kosovo almost ruined the reputation of a "sharp and likable" opposition enjoyed by this party when it was headed by Bairam Kosumi, the current vice president.

From the very start, the New DSK is exposed to serious danger to turn into an autocratic party. On the other hand, shaken relations between Hyseni and Demaqi suffered another very difficult blow by nomination of Qosja for the post of the leader, since Demaqi proved to be very sensitive when Qosja's cooperation with the government of Fatos Nano is concerned. Indeed, Demaqi relieved a few members of his party from various posts just because they had met with Nano.

The platform of the committee for organizing the New DSK does not differ from the existing platform of the DSK, but the attempt of this faction to "save" DSK may be attractive only for a part of the population which is discontented with the policy of Ibrahim Rugova. Mehmet Hairizi, secretary of the committee for organization of New DSK, says: "There are no platform differences, because some of them were among the authors of the platform documents of DSK. Differences exist in principles of organization, in the content, in the nature and morality of this organization". Connoisseurs of political developments believe that this has nothing to do with democratic and moral pronciples, but solely of a struggle for power.

On the other hand, the DSK has not come out in public with a public stand concerning this issue, because it does not seem to feel threatened. Naim Jerliu, the new vice president of the DSK says: "Gathering and political organization is a civil right everyone is entitled to. Although for the moment which Kosovo is experiencing, united action and avoiding of any new divisions is needed more than ever, I wish to understand establishment of a new political organization only as a new nuance in the broad spectre of political organizing in Kosovo". The youngest in the new leadership of the DSK, Mister Jerliu underlines that he does not wish to "justify the inclination to look upon reality only in the categories of black-and-white", but he expresses deep convinction "that with its engagement, with its political potential, organization and its mechanisms, led by president Rugova, the DSK will without doubt still remain in the leading role".

In any case, the first assessments show that the New DSK which is called the party of those who were defeated in the DSK and the presidency of the Forum of Albanian intellectuals, will probably not be able to do more than to become just another opposition party to that of Ibrahim Rugova, and that it has no chance to do more than the Parliamentary Party of Adem Demaqi.

AIM Pristina

Rrahman PAQARIZI