Vjosa Osmani on Kosovo’s Upcoming Election

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: What is the biggest structural problem you find, and I mean beyond gender, but just to meet the needs of the Kosovo people, to meet the needs of young Kosovars? I think you have a — you’re running on a reform platform, running on an anti-corruption platform. Talk to me about what is really hindering Kosovo from reaching its full potential and to stopping quite a considerable brain drain.

VJOSA OSMANI, ACTING PRESIDENT OF KOSOVO: Well, Kosovo went through horrendous war. But, after the war, unfortunately, the biggest problem that we have been facing has been crime and corruption. I’m running in a joint ticket with — Mr. Kurti is running for prime minister and myself for president, in order to tackle this as the main challenge. If you ask the people of Kosovo, in every single poll, they will be identifying two main problems. One is the need to fight corruption. And the second one is jobs. But it’s precisely this huge wall of corruption that was built throughout the years that has been hindering progress in every other area, be it creation of jobs, especially for the younger generation, or increasing the capacities, as well as the quality, in education and health. So we need to entirely change the mind-set of governance. If we remove this wall of corruption, if we tear it down — and we will once these elections are over — and with us joining forces, that is going to be even more so possible — then our ideas with respect to investing in human capital, because we have the youngest population in Europe, can be moving forward. In that respect, one of the biggest pillars of our platform is the vetting process for the judiciary, as well as the security institutions, because, if we have a politicized judiciary and prosecutor’s office, where politicians, as well as people linked to crime, can interfere with people who have to deliver justice, obviously, we cannot expect progress in any other area. The people of Kosovo deserve so much better, especially our young generation, who, unfortunately, recently have been only looking at how to get away from Kosovo. So, it is our obligation — beyond as politicians and as people that are involved in these institutions, it’s our obligation as human beings to do everything in our capacity to create a perspective for the young generation in Kosovo, so that jobs can be achieved through meritocracy, where there is justice for all and where politicians are not above justice, and treated differently from the ordinary citizens. So, these are some of the main aspects of what we’re running on. And we have been getting enormous support from the people of Kosovo, which I hope will be formalized on the 14th of February, when our elections are taking place.