The President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, in accordance with her legal competencies, has appointed the judge of the Court of Appeals, Mr. Kreshnik Radoniqi as the new Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, after the termination of the mandate of the current Chairwoman of the CEC, Mrs. Valdete Daka.
The Central Election Commission is an independent constitutional body, and the responsibility to maintain the independence of the CEC is first and foremost the responsibility of the Chairperson of the Commission. The Chairperson of the CEC does not come from the ranks of political parties, but his appointment is made through a special process, being this a fact which shows that the Chairperson must be independent in his actions even when there may be pressure within the CEC by political entities. In the last election process, the CEC has been polarized and the meetings and decision-making have been accompanied by tensions like never before.
The Chairwoman of the CEC, in many cases, has not managed to be an independent force against political polarizations and that her decision-making to be guided by the general public interest, which has consequently violated the integrity and trust of citizens in the CEC. President Osmani considers that the actions of the Chairwoman of the CEC should not be a reason for the loss of civic trust in the institution, especially since this year local elections will be held.
The legislation in force stipulates that the President is the competent authority to appoint the Chairperson of the CEC, as well as for the termination of his/her mandate. Therefore, the President has issued a decision to dismiss Mrs. Valdete Daka, having in mind the democratic values integrated in the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, as well as considering that the independence and integrity of the CEC is of vital importance in the democratic elections.
Mr. Kreshnik Radoniqi is a judge in the Special Department of the Court of Appeals. Judge Radoniqi, in 2006 graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina, while in 2013 he completed his Master studies in the USA. He completed the bar exam in 2007.
Mr. Radoniqi is considered a judge with high professional credibility and impartiality in decision-making. The appointment of Judge Kreshnik Radoniqi as the new Chairman of the CEC will ensure that the integrity of the CEC is not further damaged and will enable the smooth running of local elections based on the inclusion of voters on election day inside and outside the Republic of Kosovo.
President Osmani wished good luck to Mr. Radoniqi, emphasizing the importance of preserving the integrity of the CEC and its functioning in accordance with the Constitution and election laws.