Top Pristina officials, including representatives of the current government, have publicly opposed the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo on the Visoki Dečani monastery land for years now. However, several Pristina-based media outlets recently reported that the Kosovo government has now allegedly agreed to implement the decision, that is, it expects the local government to do so, as it is a deciding condition for Kosovo’s application for membership in the Council of Europe at the Parliamentary Assembly of that institution in April.
On the other hand, the local government – the mayor of Decane, still refuses to implement the decision. So far, the Kosovo government has remained silent about these media allegations. Also, KoSSev’s inquires with the government spokesperson have remained unanswered.
Eight years have passed since the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, after a 16-year-long court process, confirmed the decision to return 24 hectares of land to the Visoki Dečani monastery. However, it has not yet been implemented, and the land has not been registered in the cadastre.
Until now, at least officially, representatives of the central government have not called on the local authorities to fulfill their obligation. On the contrary, on several occasions, including in public interviews, they expressed their disagreement with the decision, questioning its legitimacy, with allegations that the land was allocated to the monastery while Milošević was in office.
On the other hand, international officials have been reminding the Kosovo authorities of their obligation for years now.
Recently, various international officials have once again urged the Kosovo government to return the land to this SOC monastery.
Moreover, Veton Surroi wrote a column in support of this, and the report of the organization ESI highlighted the same, whose previous report on the issue of emigration of Serbs was met with controversies and significant criticism among part of the Serbian public.
The government „agreed“, but the mayor did not?
Several Pristina media outlets reported last night, citing their findings, that the Kosovo government, after years-long criticism of the decision of the Constitutional Court, now expects the municipality of Decane to implement it.
This decision is „a deciding factor for Kosovo’s application for membership in the Council of Europe“ at the Parliamentary Assembly of that institution in April, the Kosovo media report last night.
One of these media outlets is the Gazeta Express portal, which writes that the Kosovo government allegedly „agreed to implement“ the decision of the Constitutional Court.
Referring to its findings, this portal reports that „the progress of the agenda for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe is mainly dependent on the outcome of this property dispute.“
However, the implementation of the decision on the land of the monastery should be carried out by the local authorities, in this case, the Decani municipality.
The director of geodesy and cadastre in that municipality, Agron Muslilaj, told Gazeta Express today that only the mayor Bashkim Ramosaj can discuss this issue.
When asked „whether he will agree to support the government’s decision“, Ramosaj replied that „his views on this matter are well-known“, thus refusing to provide a specific answer, Gazeta Express further writes.
Ramosaj has spoken out repeatedly in the past opposing the decision of the Constitutional Court.
For years, Ramosaj also carried out actions directed against the monastery and brotherhood of Visoki Decani.
„Registration of monastery property in exchange for membership in the Council of Europe“
The Kosovo public service broadcaster also wrote about this topic last night.
Also referring to its findings, RTK published a news piece: „Registration of property of Dečani Monastery in exchange for membership in the Council of Europe“.
RTK reminded that April will actually be „decisive regarding the fate of Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe“ when the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly begins.
They wrote that a report will be presented at the session, as well as that, reportedly, criticism of the Kosovo authorities regarding the non-implementation of the decision.
Referring to its sources from the Kosovo government, this media further states that an „encouraging call“ is expected to the local authorities to implement the decision of the Constitutional Court.
Top government officials interpret the move as a „compromise“ to gain support on the way to membership in the Council of Europe, RTK concludes.
RFE: The Kosovo government expects the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court
Radio Free Europe published a news article with almost identical content. RFE also reported that talks are allegedly being held between the central and local authorities to implement the decision ahead of the Council of Europe assembly.
„According to our findings, the government of Kosovo is ready to publicly call on the municipality to implement that ‘painful decision’ to ‘demonstrate that Kosovo is a legal state.’ Although it ‘does not want to oblige the municipality’ to implement the decision, in the hope that it will be achieved ‘independently and without pressure’, the government believes that it is moving ‘in the right direction,’“ RSE further states.
In a statement for RFE, the mayor of Decane, Bashkim Ramosaj, recalled his earlier statements regarding the decision on the monastery land, saying that he does not expect the Kosovo government to ask him to implement it.
Regarding these media allegations, the KoSSev portal contacted the spokesperson of the Kosovo government, Perparim Kryeziu. However, no response had arrived by the time the news was published.
Kosovo institutions register the land in the cadastre and issue a title deed to the monastery
In response to the allegations shared by Kosovo media, the Diocese of Raska-Prizren, in its response to KoSSev, states that no one from Kosovo institutions has contacted them regarding the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo from 2016.
„In recent years, we have witnessed several statements by the highest Kosovo officials that the decision of the Constitutional Court on the land of the Decani monastery was allegedly not legally made that it cannot be implemented, and that some kind of dialogue with the Church should be held about it. After consultations with our legal advisors and several contacts with international representatives in Pristina, we expressed our position that no dialogue can be held or an agreement made regarding the aforementioned decision of the Constitutional Court, which is binding and final (res judicata), no kind of dialogue can be led, nor agreement made because it is against legal principles in all democratic societies,“ they stated in a written response for KoSSev.
In their response, they added that they expect the Kosovo institutions to “finally do their part” in accordance with the law register the land in the cadastre, and issue a proper title deed to the monastery.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
