Kosovo Extends Mitrovica Diploma Commission's Mandate

Albin Kurti’s government, known in Pristina as “Kurti 4,” extended by three months, at a second electronic session held on September 26, the mandate of the Commission for the Verification of Diplomas issued by the University in North Mitrovica, formally the University of Pristina temporarily seated in Kosovska Mitrovica. According to Radio Kim, the legal basis for the extension is an amendment to a decision from March 19 of this year.

The commission’s previous mandate ran from June 22 to September 22. Its current composition was decided in February 2023, and its mandate has been extended repeatedly since then.

The commission verifies diplomas earned at the Serbian-run university headquartered in Kosovska Mitrovica. Authorities in Pristina justify the mechanism by arguing that it gives members of non-majority communities who studied there access to the labor market and to positions in the state administration.

At the same session, the government adopted a draft law on a bureau for verifying and confiscating assets whose origin cannot be justified. Justice Minister Donika Gervala explained that the proposal would create an additional mechanism for cases where there is a mismatch between a public official’s assets and their lawful income. “The Bureau itself would not decide on confiscation,” Gervala said after the session.

According to her, the Bureau would gather, analyze and verify data, and once it establishes that the legal conditions are met, would refer the case to a court. The court would rule on the final confiscation, with the possibility of appeal. Gervala added that the initiative to set up this mechanism dates back to 2020, and that the proposal has since been reviewed by the Venice Commission and the Constitutional Court.

The same day, the government also adopted draft laws on the election, performance evaluation and integrity vetting of judges and prosecutors, on the disciplinary liability of judges and prosecutors, on the Academy of Justice, on energy and electricity, and on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as on late payments in commercial transactions.

What happens if no president is elected by October 6

The session came as the deadline to elect Kosovo’s president draws near. On September 23, the Constitutional Court ruled that the sixty day deadline began on August 8 and expires on October 6. In the same ruling, the Court confirmed that the September 13 election of the Kurti 4 government did not violate the Constitution, even though the Assembly had been constituted after the constitutional deadline had already passed.

If no president is elected by October 6, the constitutional consequences set out for such a case take effect, including the dissolution of the Assembly. That is why the extension of the diploma commission’s mandate and the adoption of a series of laws are taking place in a period of institutional uncertainty, less than a month after the new government was even formed.