PRISTINA, June 29 /ATA/ – Hysni Gucati, head of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) Veterans’ Organization, said on Monday that the KLA’s flag and emblem should not be used in political protests or election campaigns, either in Kosovo or Albania, while calling for the adoption of legislation to protect the legacy of the 1998-99 war.
Speaking at a news conference, Gucati said the absence of a Law on the Values of the War had created space for individuals and groups to speak in the name of the KLA without legal authority.
Responding to questions about the use of KLA symbols in political demonstrations and recent debates involving former KLA members, Gucati reiterated that the organization has consistently opposed the use of the KLA flag and insignia in partisan political activities.
He also said that citizens of Kosovo should refrain from participating in political protests in Albania, describing them as internal matters of the Albanian state. Support, he added, would become an obligation only in the event of an external threat to Albania.
Asked about Dritan Goxhaj, Gucati said he is not a member of the KLA Veterans’ Organization.
Gucati argued that the central issue remains the lack of a legal framework governing the protection of the KLA’s wartime legacy and symbols.
According to Gucati, draft legislation has been submitted to Kosovo’s institutions on several occasions but has yet to be adopted. He warned that veterans could organize protests to press for its approval.
He said the proposed law would provide legal safeguards for the legacy of the war and regulate the use of the KLA’s name and symbols, preventing unauthorized individuals from claiming to speak on behalf of the organization.
/Kosovapress/u.sh/
