Kosovo War Veterans Threaten Nationwide Protests

The head of the Kosovo War Veterans Association, Muharrem Xhemajli, told BIRN that protests would be held across the country next week if parliament doesn’t act to approve the new legislation on Monday.

Former KLA fighters have expressed anger after parliament did not put a vote on the law guaranteeing benefits for war veterans on the agenda of its session on Thursday.

Xhemajli insisted that there was “no reason [for parliament] to prolong this issue further”.

“The law was amended in all the necessary parliamentary commissions. Therefore there is no reason for the parliament not to vote on the final draft,” he said.

“If the law isn’t put on the agenda of Monday’s session, we will organise massive protests,” he warned.

A law which grants benefits to those who fought or suffered as a result of the late 1990s war already came into force in 2012, but some have complained that it is not being implemented properly.

According to the law, relatives of those killed, invalids, civilian victims and their relatives get benefits from 40 up to 534 euro, but war veterans are excluded.

The new legislation for Kosovo’s war veterans was initially approved earlier this month, but in order to enter into force, it has to be approved in a second and final reading in parliament.