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Vetëvendosje (trans. Self-determination) is a radical nationalistic political movement in the Kosovo, which opposes foreign involvement in internal affairs of the country and campaigns for the sovereignty exercised by the people instead, as part of the right of self-determination.
The movement widely bases its philosophy in the works of Ukshin Hoti and Hegel.
The big contrast with the rest of political spectrum within Kosovo gleams in regard of two main issues that characterize the country after the war: the long process of negotiations with Serbia concerning internal issues of Kosovo without imposing any conditions to the Serbian side, which they claim to be "unfair and harmful", and the process of privatization of public companies which they describe as "a corruption model, contributing to increasing unemployment, ruining the economy, and halting economic development of the country".

History of the movement

"Vetëvendosje!" was the main slogan during the protests that took place in 1968 throughout Kosovo, with the the goal of advancing national rights of Albanians and enforcing the political status as an entity within Yugoslavia.

Vetëvendosje! was founded in 2004 and has been led, since its start, by Albin Kurti, as a consecutive of KAN (Kosova Action Network) a group promoting active citizenry and direct political participation of the masses.
One of the movement's political points is to hold a referendum on union with Albania. The movement counts on close to 20,000 activists at their disposal at any time.

On 10 February 2007 a demonstration organised by Vetëvendosje and attended by more than 60,000 people took place in the streets of Pristina. Riot police were deployed after the rioters allegedly planned to storm the government office. Following this deployment, after a few minutes Romanian UNMIK riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd who until then protested peacefully. The Romanian UNMIK police officers then fired directly at the face of one of the protesters, resulting in the immediate death of this unarmed civilian. Following the first casualty the situation went fully out of control and the police began firing rubber bullets at the protesters while always aiming at their heads, resulting in another casualty of a protester who was shot point-blank while he was hiding from the tear gas inside Hotel Iliria, countless other protesters were injured while one protester who was shot next to the heart survived after a long state of coma and still today lives with the projectile inside his chest. The end of the protest resulted in two deaths, seven serious injuries and 73 minor injuries. A prosecutor determined that the police, Romanians who are part of an international force deployed here, had acted criminally, but declined to file charges because it was unclear who had fired the fatal shots. Instead, Kurti got arrested for "disdain and contempt for all that represents the legitimate authority of Kosovo".

The movement campaigned through graffiti opposing the negotiations for the final status of Kosovo. The graffiti in Albanian is: Jo Negociata -- Vetëvendosje! (Albanian for "No negotiations - Self-determination!"). Among the targets for activities of Vetëvendosje activists are vehicles of UNMIK with UN signs, to which the activists add an F character at the beginning and a D character at the end resulting in FUND signs, which in Albanian means The End. The movement also opposes the decentralisation process which creates a de facto division of Kosovo along ethnic lines, separating Kosovo into ethnic Albanian and Serbian parts and as such resulting in ethnic discrimination of both Albanian and Serbian communities by creating ghettos based on ethnicity. The movement has also organised protests in front of the headquarters of the United Nations in both New York and in Kosovo during the visits of the heads of state of Serbia.

Participation in elections

The decision to participate in the coming elections as a political entity led to another arrest of Kurti by EULEX . In December 2010 the movement participated for the first time in national elections and obtained 12.66% of the votes in an electoral process where there was industrialized ballot stuffing and election manipulation done by the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo of Hashim Thaçi, Democratic League of Kosovo of Isa Mustafa, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo of Ramush Haradinaj and Alliance for New Kosovo of Behgjet Pacolli. According to international election monitoring reports these elections were the worst in Kosovo history. For Vetëvendosje!, the result of 12.66% constituted the percentage of votes it was able to protect, not the percentage which the movement actually won. It claims that in a fair electoral process the movement would be the largest political subject in the parliament. Vetëvendosje! deposited more than 1,500 complaints as a result of which there were repeated elections in most Kosovar municipalities at least once (in the worst cases going up to a total of three rounds of voting in problematic towns like Skënderaj (Srbica) and Mitrovica. Although this result would place Vetëvendosje as the third political subject of Kosovo, one day after the elections Vetëvendosje presented findings of its observers who had witnessed voter manipulation and fraud in some constituencies.
VV! won 14 seats, 2 of them going for their ally movement LB ("Movement for Unity", in Albanian Lëvizja per Bashkim).

Merger with the New Spirit Party

The New Spirit Party merged into Vetëvendosje! on 31 March 2011. Shpend Ahmeti is currently vice-chairman of Vetëvendosje!.

Merger with Socialist Party of Kosovo

The Socialist Party of Kosovo, led by Ilaz Kadolli, joined Vetëvendosje! on April 26, 2013. Kurti and Kadolli agreed that the merger will be in the interest of building a strong political and economical state. The Socialist Party had no representatives in the Kosovo Parliament, but had several in local governments.

Merger with People's Movement of Kosovo

People's Movement of Kosovo (Lëvizja Popullore e Kosovës), with its structures in Kosovo and abroad joined Vetëvendosje! on July 23, 2013, as stated from both leaders Kurti and Zekaj during the press conference in Vetevendosje! headquarters in Prishtina: "...with the only aim to change social flow on the benefit of Albanian people". Zekaj stated that PMK has a wide membership within Kosovo and abroad, though he didn't provide numbers.
PMK started in 1982 as a Marxist nationalist grouping of Albanian diaspora organizations in Switzerland and is considered the origin of KLA. Most of its leadership moved on with the newly created party Democratic Party of Kosovo of Hashim Thaçi after the war.

Controversies

In February 2007, was egged during a demonstration against the Ahtisaari plan in Pristina against the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC).The demonstrating crowd called: "The churches should be destroyed" or slogans against the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo like "UNMIK out". After Albin Kurti, the chairman of the Albanian nationalistic movement Vetëvendosje!, which organized the demonstrations, said that the Ahtisaari plan is unfavorable because it protected the Serbian Orthodox heritage and gave the Serbs autonomy within Kosovo. A clergyman from the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Visoki Dečani, a monastery which was already victim of vandalism, said:

"Especially the demonstration shows that the sanctuaries of the SOC in Kosovo need special protection from the people who wish to extinguish every trace of centuries of existence of Christianity in the region. Hopefully, the Albanians will realize that the international representatives or not the remaining Serbs in Kosovo pose a real threat to them, but their own extremists tycoons who have immeasurably enriched by the war in Kosovo, while the majority of the population remains in miserable lives. Before the young Albanians not start to demonstrate against violence, crime and corruption, instead against their neighbors and Christian shrines, Kosovo will remain a black hole on the map of Europe"

On December 10, 2012, US Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson accused VV! of having sent a threatening letter to former State Secretary Madeleine Albright, one of the most respected and loved political figures between Albanians. VV! officially replied four days later, stating that "they were amazed with the accusations, and Kurti never sent any letter to Mrs. Albright, but if someone had proof should make it available to the public". They explained that they had urged citizens of Kosovo to mail to companies which were racing for privatizing PTK (the postal and telecommunications authority of Kosovo owning "Vala" mobile operator as well) while explaining to them the harm that the privatization is causing the country's economy and the wrong practices applied during the process. Apparently, one of the runners was a consortium of Portugal Telecom with Albright Capital Management, which dropped off the race on January 2013.

"We did not threaten anyone and we definitely did not, as you claim, try to deter Ms. Albright from visiting Kosovo. Indeed, after this letter of September 1, Ms. Albright visited Kosovo in November, without the slightest opposition from VETËVENDOSJE! During her visit, she even met our deputies. "

On June 27, 2013, VV! organized a protest against the latest agreement between Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaçi and Serbian homologue Ivica Dačić during the latest round of political negotiations between Prishtina and Beograd in Brussels hosted by Catherine Ashton. Vetëvendosje! tried to block all entrances to the the parliament building, in order to hinder the assemblymen from entering, thus preventing the agreement for being ratified. The protest didn't succeed, and the agreement was voted from the majority of the assembly representatives. During the protest, US Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson resulted with an injury on her right arm while entering from a secondary entrance together with some assembly members.
Although the video evidence showed no physical contact between protesters and US Ambassador, confirmed as well by LDK assemblyman Haki Demolli who entered the building together with the American Ambassador, the incident aggravated the already difficult relationship between US State Department and VV!. The reaction was prompt, following the US Embassy official statement, VV! was criticized by Kosovo government instances, political factors, as well as public opinion. According to Zëri newspaper, the US Department of State called Kosovo Ambassador in Washington D.C. Akan Ismajli requiring official explanations, though no comments came from official sources within Kosovo.

"As we have stressed with all leaders and particularly to Vetevendosje, while the United States respects citizens’ rights to free speech and expression, we deplore the use of violent tactics in obstructing the democratic process. Freedom of speech does not mean the right to restrict the freedom of movement of others. Vetevendosje’s continued reliance on violent tactics undermines Kosovo’s reputation as an emerging democracy."

The reaction from VV! was vague, with soon-to-be-gone Alma Lama being the first one to personally apologize to the US Ambassador. On 1 July, Glauk Konjufca apologized to all foreign representatives visiting the Kosovo parliament on that day: "Specifically, there is the case of US Ambassador, but even other foreign representatives to whom we apologize in case they have experienced any unpleasant situation. But, analyzing the harm that the agreement causes, it sounded reasonable to us to act the way we did though I don't deny having possibly made some mistakes." The overall positioning of VV! can be described with Shpend Ahmeti's statement: "the protest was not violent, we didn't want anyone to get hurt, we are sorry if someone actually did, but the negative effects of the agreement overrun any side effects of the protest", adding "the government is trying to show us as anti-american, which we are not".

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker during his visit to Prishtina few days later would be harsh and very direct with VV!, calling them "clowns who want to be violent". VV! would call Reekers' accusations as "unfair and non-democratic" and issue a complaint letter to the US Department of State.

Vetëvendosje! members in the Assembly of Kosovo

The chairman of the movement's parliamentary group is Visar Ymeri. The President of the Vetëvendosje! movement Albin Kurti is also Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee in the Republic of Kosovo, while Vetëvendosje! MP Glauk Konjufca is Deputy-Speaker of Parliament and is the editor of the movement's weekly journal. Alma Lama resigned from Vetëvendosje! and its parliamentary group on July 5, 2013 due to divergences with the leadership and what was described as "a flirt with radical Islam groups for the purpose of increasing its electorate".

Chairperson

• Visar Ymeri

Members
Glauk Konjufca
Albana Fetoshi
Albulena Haxhiu
Albin Kurti
Afrim Kasolli
Liburn Aliu
Rexhep Selimi
Florin Krasniqi
Afrim Hoti
Albana Gashi

Former Members
Alma Lama (as of 07-05-13)

See also

• Albin Kurti
• Shpend Ahmeti
• Radio Show PËRBALLJA
• Politics of Kosovo
• Florin Krasniqi
• National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo
• UNMIK
• Kosovo Liberation Army
• Political Manifesto 16 pages wikisource:Page:Vetëvendosje! political programm in english.pdf/1
• Political Manifesto (Albanian) 49 pages
• Belgrade–Pristina negotiations

Notes and references

Notes:

References:

1. ^ Kosovo Prime Minister Thaci Declared Victor In Preliminary Election Results, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 13 December 2010, retrieved 17 November 2011
2. ^ Delafrouz, Ghazal, Vetevendosje: A minor field study of the Kosovo Albanian resistance movement, Lund University, p. 11
3. Abdiu, Drita; Causidis, Tamara (2 March 2007), "Kosovo Radicals Draw a Blank in Macedonia", Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), retrieved 17 November 2011
4. ^ Lewis, Paul (12 December 2010). "Former US diplomat backs Albanian nationalist in Kosovo elections". The Guardian. London.
5. Gashi, Krenar (1 March 2007), "Kosovo Nationalists Promise Peaceful Anti-UN Rally", Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), retrieved 17 November 2011
6. Brajshori, Muhamet (29 November 2010), Newcomers vie for voter attention in Kosovo, SETimes.com{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
7. http://www.speroforum.com/a/42625/Early-Elections-Could-Be-A-Serious-Test-For-Europes-Youngest-Democracy left-wing
8. Vetevendosje.org (12 December 2010). "Ne: Vetevendosje! Ne" (in Albanian). Retrieved 12 December 2010.
9. http://www.dw.de/kosovos-self-determination-activists-clash-with-police/a-15671887
10. Konjufca, Glauk (3 March 2012). Tribuna: Mbi veprën e Ukshin Hotit (Tribune: About the work of Ukshin Hoti) (in Albanian). Vetëvendosje!.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
11. Konjufca, Glauk (16 May 2013). Zbatoni porositë e Ukshin Hotit! (Apply Hoti's guidelines! ) (in Albanian). Vetëvendosje!.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
12. Sulstarova, Enis (3 March 2012), Kombi, demokracia dhe Evropa: duke lexuar veprën e Ukshin Hotit (Nation, democracy, and Europe: reading the work of Ukshin Hoti) (in Albanian), Vetëvendosje!{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
13. Vetëvendosje! (6 October 2008), Newsletter from the Movement for SELF-DETERMINATION! (PDF), vol. 115, Vetëvendosje!{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
14. Glauk Konjufca (5 July 2010), "Baca hegelian? (Hegelian Uncle?)" (PDF), Vetëvendosje! Weekly Newspaper, 252, Vetëvendosje!: 3, 4{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
15. http://news.albanianscreen.tv/pages/news_detail/vetevendosje__kunder_negociatave/ALB
16. http://www.vetevendosje.org/repository/docs/Pazaret_e_reja_pazare_te_vjetra.pdf
17. Šileikaitė, Goda (24 October 2011), Kosovo today: between ancient hatreds and possible reconciliation, Nouvelle Europe{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
18. http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/kosovos-vetevendosje-movement-doesnt-like-foreign-intervention
19. http://news.albanianscreen.tv/pages/news_detail/60951/ENG
20. Kurti, Albin (30.07.2013), Kurti: Privatizimi i egër dhe abuziv, deindustrializoi Kosovën (Robust and abusive privatization de-industrialized Kosovo) (in Albanian), Koha.net {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
21. Vetëvendosje! (21 May 2010), Newsletter from the Movement for SELF-DETERMINATION! (PDF), vol. 199, Vetëvendosje!{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
22. STS International Solidarity (4 October 2010), Kosova: Action against Privatization, STS International Solidarity{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
23. http://www.assembly-kosova.org/?cid=1,184,1
24. http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a80c0.html
25. http://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/europerussiacentral-asia-region/serbiakosovo-1968-present/
26. "The Case for Kosova: Passage to Independence", 2006, Anthem Press, ISBN 1-84331-229-8
27. http://www.balkanalysis.com/kosovo/2012/02/22/the-vetevendosje-movement-in-kosovo-an-increasing-focus-on-nationalism/
28. http://welections.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/final-wrap-up/ "supports a united Albania"
29. Amnesty.org (21 June 2010). "Kosovo (Serbia): Vetevendosje! Activists beaten during Kurti Arrest". Retrieved 30 July 2010.
30. Finer, Jonathan (August 23, 2007), Kosovo Independence Activist Puts Hope in 'No Negotiation', Washington Post{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
31. http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albin-kurti-guardian-of-flame-of-kosovo-nationalism
32. Vujadinovic, Ljubica (Jun 16, 2010), Albin Kurti Is Getting Ready For Kosovo Elections, allvoices.com{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
33. B92 (June 13, 2010), Radical ethnic Albanian leader arrested, B92{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
34. District Court of Pristina v. Kurti, Albin, P.Nr.281/7 (14 June 2010).
35. ^ "Kosovo's Vetevendosje Makes Leap From Street to Parliament". Balkaninsight. 2010-12-15.
36. Assembly of Republic of Kosovo (2010), Results of the last Elections, Assembly of Republic of Kosovo{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
37. http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2011/03/31/nb-11
38. http://top-channel.tv/artikull.php?id=207630
39. Kosovo Socialist Party (26 April 2013), Partia Socialiste e Kosovës i bashkohet Lëvizjen VETËVENDOSJE! (KSP joins VETËVENDOSJE!) (in Albanian), Kosovo Socialist Party
40. http://www.kosovalive360.com/lpk-joins-forces-with-levizje-vetevendosje.html#sthash.s8wzMKKb.dpbs
41. http://www.vetevendosje.org/index.php?cid=1,2,6868&author=0
42. http://info.kosovapress.com/?cid=2,86,169066
43. http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1999/09/koso-s01.html
44. ^ "Serbien/Kosovo: "Die Kirchen sollen zerstört werden!" (Serbia/Kosovo: "The churches should be destroyed!")" (in German). The Evangelische Allianz on February 16, 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
45. 'kosovain.eu' Online Media Portal (10 December 2012), Jacobson: Vetëvendosje po përdor taktika të dhunës e kërcënimeve (Jacobson: Vetëvendosje! is applying violent and threatening tactics) (in Albanian), kosovain.eu{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
46. Telegrafi Media Portal (10.12.2012), Jacobson: Kurti kërcënoi ish-sekretaren Albright (Jacobson: Kurti threatened former Secretary of State Albright) (in Albanian), telegrafi.com {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
47. ^ http://www.vetevendosje.org/repository/docs/Newsletter_Nr.333.pdf
48. http://www.lajmifundit.al/lajme/2012/12/12/vetevendosja-leter-ambasadores-amerikane-kurti-se-kercenoi-sekretaren-albright/
49. http://gazetajnk.com/?cid=1,987,2931
50. http://www.top-channel.tv/artikull.php?id=240424
51. Albeu.com (11 January 2013), Albright zyrtarisht e tërhequr në garën për privatizimin e PTK-së (Albright drops officially out of the race for KPT) (in Albanian), Time.al
52. http://www.b92.net/eng/news/business.php?yyyy=2012&mm=12&dd=27&nav_id=83867
53. http://lajme.shqiperia.com/lajme/artikull/iden/1047326827/titulli/Albright-terhiqet-nga-gara-per-blerjen-e-PTK-se
54. http://rt.com/news/kosovo-serbia-clashes-ties-336/
55. http://www.demotix.com/node/2200440
56. http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2013-08/kosovo_4.php?print=true
57. http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2013/06/29/feature-01
58. http://infoglobi.com/ambasadorja-amerikane-shpalon-lendimin/
59. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIjhkeOOylk
60. http://www.radiokosovaelire.com/?nav=10,2&id=10116
61. http://grid.al/read/news/156394236/3677948/demolli-nuk-pash-ferkim-fizik-te-vv-se-me-jacobson
62. ^ Embassy of the US - Pristina, Kosovo (June 27, 2013), Statement from U.S. Embassy, June 27, 2013, Embassy of the US - Pristina, Kosovo{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
63. Kosovo Council of Ministers (27.06.2013), KOMUNIKATË PËR MEDIA E QEVERISË SË REPUBLIKËS SË KOSOVËS (PRESS RELEASE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO) (in Albanian), Kosovo Prime Minister Office {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
64. President of the Republic of Kosovo (27 June 2013), President Jahjaga condemns the attack on the US Ambassador, Tracey Ann Jacobson, Kosovo President Office{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
65. Ramadani, Burim (31 May 2013). Deputeti i AAK-së, Burim Ramadani, në Zona B (AFK representative, Burim Ramadani, in "Zone B") (in Albanian). Alliance for the Future of Kosovo.
66. 'Mesazhi' Portal (28 Qershor 2013), Mustafa dënon veprimin e djeshëm të VV-së (Mustafa condemns yesterday's action of VV!) (in Albanian), 'Mesazhi' Portal {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
67. Koha Ditore (28.06.2013), Edhe shoqëria civile kritikon VV-në për veprime jodemokratike (Civil society criticizes VV! for non-democratic actions) (in Albanian), koha.net {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
68. http://time.ikub.al/8a6a9d4680/1789788989803b84eb5b2302ef1f6379/Lajm_DASH-therret-ambasadorin-kosovar.aspx
69. http://time.ikub.al/41b17be045/3f238b19b2f1aed6d98b5559bda9e9b5/Lajm_Alma-i-kerkon-falje-Ambasdores-jo-Vetevendosja.aspx
70. http://www.zeri.info/artikulli/8944/vv-u-kerkon-falje-ambasadoreve
71. http://fishmedia.info/lajme/ahmeti-me-e-keqja-eshte-marreveshja-jo-lendimi-i-ambasadores/
72. http://www.kosovapress.com/?cid=2,86,168122
73. http://www.panorama.com.al/2013/07/06/zyrtari-amerikan-filip-riker-vizitoi-kosoven-vetevendosja-palaco/
74. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4wVZSHaaIY
75. http://reporteri.net/?page=1,2,8432
76. http://www.shqiptarja.com/kosova/2727/vetevendosje--do-te-ankohet-per-philip-reeker-te-john-kerry-165902.html
77. http://www.assembly-kosova.org/?cid=2,110,101
78. Assembly of Republic of Kosovo, Presidency of the Assembly, Assembly of Republic of Kosovo
79. Assembly of Republic of Kosovo, Presidency of the Assembly - Glauk Konjufca, Assembly of Republic of Kosovo
80. http://www.shqiptarja.com/kosova/2727/lama-largohet-nga-vetevendosje-shkak-shamite-e-myslimaneve-165935.html
81. http://www.koha.net/?page=1,13,151279
82. http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/blog/the-dichotomy-of-vetevendosje

External links

• Official website

• Politics of Kosovo
• Political parties in Kosovo
• Political parties established in 2004
• Direct action