Jump to content

Hashim Thaçi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 89.96.249.182 (talk) at 17:22, 6 March 2008 (→‎Role in KLA). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hashim Thaçi
File:Hashim Thaci.jpg
Prime Minister of Kosovo
Assumed office
9 January 2008
PresidentFatmir Sejdiu
DeputyHajredin Kuçi
Preceded byAgim Çeku
In office
02 April 1999 – 01 February 2000
PresidentIbrahim Rugova
Preceded byBujar Bukoshi
Succeeded byNexhat Daci
Personal details
Born (1968-04-24) 24 April 1968 (age 56)
Buroja, SAP Kosovo, Yugoslavia
Political partyPDK

Hashim Thaçi listenⓘ (Serbo-Croat: Hašim Tači) (sometimes also spelled as Thaqi; Thaci in English-language media) (born 24 April, 1968) is the Prime Minister of Kosovo, the President of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

Early life and education

Thaçi was born in Buroja in the municipality of Srbica, northwest of Drenica valley, in the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo (then an autonomous province within the Serbian republic of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and currently part of Republic of Serbia under international supervision).

He studied philosophy and history at the University of Priština. During his university years, he was an Albanian student leader and the first student president of the parallel Albanian University of Prishtina that broke off in 1989 (and organised in the early 1990s) from the official University due to Kosovar Albanians' protest of Slobodan Milošević's new imposed status of Kosovo and Metohija.

By 1993, Thaçi joined the Kosovar Albanian political emigration in Switzerland, where he pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Zurich in the history and international relations departments.. There he became one of the founders of the People's Movement of Kosovo (LPK), a Marxist-Leninist[1][2] political party in Kosovo devoted to Albanian popular nationalism: to achieve independence for Albanians in relevant areas where they are populous. See Greater Albania.

Role in KLA

In 1993, Thaçi became a member of the inner circle of the KLA. Thaçi (nom de guerre "Gjarpëri" [the Snake]) was responsible for securing financial means, training and armament of recruits, teaching them in Albania under the auspices of its Kosovar-sympathetic government, to be dispatched to Kosovo.[citation needed] In 1997, Thaçi was tried in absentia and convicted by the Serbian authorities in Priština for acts of terrorism associated with his activities in the KLA.[3] KLA is considered as a terrorist organization by the United States Department of State.

In March 1999, Hashim Thaçi was promoted into a political leader of the KLA and as such participated at the Rambouillet negotiations as the leader of the Kosovar Albanian team.[4] Thaçi was perceived by western diplomats during the negotiations as the "voice of reason" within the KLA: his attendance at the negotiations demonstrated a willingness to accept autonomy for Kosovo within Serbia at a time when other leaders within the KLA rejected any solution short of full national independence.[5] Thaçi emerged from the final diplomatic settlement as the leader of the strongest faction within a KLA rife with factionalism. He moved quickly to consolidate power, unilaterally naming himself prime minister within a provisional government and ordering the assassination of the leaders of rival armed factions.[6]

Criminal activities

Thaci is known to have extensive criminal links. During the period of time when Thaci was head of the Kosovo Liberation Army, it was reported by the Washington Times to be financing its activities by trafficking heroin and cocaine into western Europe.[7] While the KLA was officially disbanded at the end of armed conflict in Kosovo in 1999, the new Kosovo Protection Force was composed primarily of former KLA fighters and the Democratic Party of Kosovo was formed largely from the political leadership of the KLA. A near monopoly on the means of force based on the absorption of the KLA into the KPF allowed the Democratic Party of Kosovo to seize near complete control of the machinery of government at the municipal level.[8] The Democratic Party of Kosovo has regularly employed violence and intimidation of political rivals to maintain local political control and protect criminal enterprises which depend upon cooperation from friendly local authorities.[9] Thaçi in particular is seen as being central to the criminal activites of the Kosovo Protection Force, who were reportedly extorting money from businessmen under the guise of "taxes" for Thaçi's self appointed government.[10] The fact that the Democratic Party of Kosovo was seen as both corrupt and criminal lead directly to the electoral defeat of the DPK in the first free elections in the province in 2001. The BBC stated at the time, " The tumbling reputation of the former KLA was to have a disastrous effect on the PDK because of the perceived overlap between its political leadership and post-KLA organised crime."[11]

Victory in 2007 election and declaration of Kosovar Independence

Kosovo elections were held on 17 November 2007. After early results based on 90 per cent of the votes, Hashim Thaçi who was on course to gain 34 per cent, claimed victory for PDK, the Albanian Democratic Party. He stated his intention to declare independence without delay on 10 December, the date set by the United Nations for the end of negotiations with Serbia. Thaçi is likely to form a coalition with President Fatmir Sejdiu's Democratic League which was in second place with 22 percent of the vote. At 45 per cent, the turnout at the election was particularly low with most Serbs refusing to vote.[12]

However, on 19 November 2007, several EU foreign ministers warned Thaçi and his Albanian allies not to go ahead with their declaration of independence without consultations. Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn and Sweden's Carl Bildt urged the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) not to make any hasty moves while EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana stressed the importance of proper preparations prior to formal independence. After EU talks on Kosovo in London on 19 November 2007, the UK's Europe minister, Jim Murphy, said independence without foreign support could isolate the breakaway province.[13]

Hashim Thaci was designated as the next leader of Kosovo's government on December 11, 2007 by Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and told to form a government "as soon as possible". His Democratic Party of Kosovo has begun coalition talks with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) as well as the Alliance for New Kosovo. The parties all together control 75 seats of 120 in the assembly.[14] On January 9 2008, Thaçi was elected as Prime Minister by parliament, with 85 votes in favor and 22 against. On this occasion he stated his intention to achieve independence for Kosovo in the first half of 2008.[15] On February 16, 2008, Thaçi announced that the next day, February 17, would be key for "implementing the will of the citizens of Kosovo", strongly implying the region would declare independence.[16] After the February 17, 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence Thaçi became Prime Minister of the newly independent state.

References

  1. ^ Kosovo: Background to crisis, Jane's (March 1999)
  2. ^ Mark Almond, Our Gang - Kosovo Liberation Army, National Review, July 26, 1999
  3. ^ http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=561
  4. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04EFD81338F930A35751C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
  5. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04EFD81338F930A35751C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
  6. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E1DD1539F935A35755C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
  7. ^ "KLA finances fight with heroin sales Terror group is linked to crime network"; Jerry Seper. Washington Times. Washington, D.C.: May 3, 1999. pg. A.1
  8. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/699175.stm
  9. ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/0815/p9s1.html
  10. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/699175.stm
  11. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/999166.stm
  12. ^ EuroNews: Ex-guerrilla chief claims victory in Kosovo election.Retrieved 20 November 2007.
  13. ^ Kosovo warned over independence: BBC News, 19 November 2007.
  14. ^ "Thaci designated to head Kosovo government". Monsters and Critics. 2007-12-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Ex-rebel becomes Kosovo’s prime minister", Associated Press (MSNBC), January 9, 2008.
  16. ^ "Kosovo gears up for independence". BBC. 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
Political offices

Template:Incumbent succession box

Preceded by Prime Minister of Kosovo
1999 – 2000 		Succeeded by
Party political offices

Template:Incumbent succession box

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hashim_Thaçi&oldid=196320315"