PARLIAMENTARY OVERSIGHT OF THE KOSOVO POLICE

In the framework of regional project POINTPULSE, Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) on the 18th of April organized the conference in Prishtina on police integrity in Kosovo titled “Parliamentary Oversight of the Kosovo Police”. The conference highlighted in particular the role of Kosovo Assembly’s Committee on Internal Affairs and Security towards the police oversight in Kosovo.

Having in mind the recent events occurred in the Kosovo Police and the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo, the Parliamentary Committee is being activated to exercise its role on the police oversight with the aim to strengthen police integrity in Kosovo. The first Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Internal Affairs and Security, Rexhep Selimi has pointed out that within the committee is being established a Working Group to monitor the implementation of the Law on Police Inspectorate of Kosovo (PIK) in order to assess whether the primary legislation has been implemented in the course of actions of the PIK towards the police as well as to internal governance of the PIK itself.

“There are problems within the Police Inspectorate, the Kosovo Police and therefore there is a need to prepare recommendations. However, the biggest challenge is that the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee are not respected and implemented by the relevant institutions, such as Government and other institutions” stated Selimi in the capacity of the Member of the Kosovo Assembly.

Trust of the Kosovo citizens in the security institutions, with particular regard in the Kosovo Police is very important, said Fatmir Xhelili, a Member of the Kosovo Assembly and Committee on Internal Affairs and Security. Additionally, he has indicated that the Committee already met representatives of the PIK for the purposes of drafting a report by the Committee regarding the supervision of implementation of the Law on PIK. Apart from this, it is considered that exists a good cooperation between the Kosovo Assembly with the Kosovo Police and the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo.

On the other side, representatives of the Kosovo Police from the Directorate for Development of Performance and Career, Brahim Sadriu said that the Integrity Plan of the Kosovo Police which was drafted several months ago has started to be implemented since the 1 st of January of this year. With respect to the parliamentary oversight, Sadriu mentioned that the relevant Committee of the Assembly can provide its contribution to enhance integrity of the Kosovo Police through monitoring activities.

Apart from the issues discussed in the conference, the KCSS Researcher, Plator Avdiu stated that the Police Inspectorate should go under institutional reforms in order to gain its credibility to build and enhance police integrity in Kosovo. “Knowing that there are some investigations towards the PIK, therefore firstly this institution should be reformed in order to provide its contribution on police integrity”.

Members of the Kosovo Assembly declared that involvement of non-state actors, such as media and civil society organisations in Kosovo, would be an added value towards democratic oversight of the Kosovo Police. In this regard, KCSS through its expertise and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders would provide the contribution towards integrity, good governance and democratisation of the security sector in Kosovo, with particular regard in the Kosovo Police and the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo.

The conference was organized in the framework of the project “Western Balkans Pulse for Police Integrity and Trust”. The project is supported by the European Union through the “Civil Society Facility” programme. The views expressed in the project are exclusively the views of KCSS and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.