The politician who raised the Albanian national flag in the rostrum of the Parliament of Serbia and held a key speech in the Albanian language for the first time, Shaip Kamberi, former deputy of the Serbian Parliament and candidate for a new mandate in the April 3, 2022 parliamentary elections, has revealed to Albanian Daily News some critical moments during his past parliamentarian career being labeled in choir as ‘enemy of the state’ by 244 Serb deputies, the highest state and government officials and media.  

“I can now confirm that my intention for a new mandate in the frame of the list "Coalition of Albanians of the Valley" has been formalized since the Central Election Commission has certified this list,” said Kamberi, who is strongly determined to continue the political battle for equality and more rights for Albanians of the Presevo Valley.

Kamberi is more resolute because, as he said, the government policy of Serbia has continued to be discriminatory accompanied with a more hostile public use of hate speech against Albanians. “Denying its guilt for the discriminatory policy towards Albanians, the Serbian government has continued to follow the same discriminatory trend throughout the last parliamentary term.”

In addition Kamberi noted that there are three agreements signed with the Serbian authorities in 2001, 2009 and 2013 which essentially demand improvement of the position of Albanians, building equality and respecting their collective characteristics in the Presevo Valley. But he was annoyed because although the accords were signed with the mediation of the international community, at no point the latter has exerted proper pressure on official Belgrade to respect and comply with them.  

In a comment on the political future of President Aleksandar Vucic after the April 3 general poll the former Albanian MP said “his sun has passed its zenith and I think that his victory cannot be endangered by an unorganized opposition, which does not have concrete platform of ideas about the future of Serbia, an opposition which is trying to defeat nationalist Vucic with greater nationalism.”

In the meantime, he was concerned over the unabating drive of Serbian authorities to deny the right to vote for Albanians through the infamous and selective process of passivation of addresses. “This is an administrative process which is trying to legalize the ethnic cleansing in the municipality of Medvedja. There are some reports in which the EU and the OSCE mention the process of passivation as worrying, but there is still no concrete reaction to this process by these international mechanisms.”   

The Albanian candidate for another mandate in Serbian Parliament welcomed that Albania, as a NATO member and EU aspirant country, has come out in open support for the people of Ukraine and against the Russian aggression. “But also, as a member of the United Nations and its Security Council for a two-year mandate, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, Albania must be just as vocal about the rights of Albanians in the Presevo Valley, who demand nothing more than respect for the democratic standards of the European Union member of which Serbia claims to become,” said the outstanding politician of the Presevo Valley, Shaip Kamberi in the following interview: 

Albanian Daily News: Serbia is expected to hold general elections on April 3 this year and as a result you, Mr. Kamberi, have ended your current parliamentary mandate. Can you please tell us about some of the most critical moments in your parliamentary life in face of an absolute majority in the Serbian parliament? 

Former MP in Serb Parliament Shaip Kamberi: I can say that the whole mandate in the last legislation has been a daily challenge. As part of the only parliamentary group of 6 opposition deputies versus the other 244 Serb MPs, who were part of the parliamentary majority, there was not a single "normal" session. The daily battle against discrimination and the demands for equality, freedom and democracy have been met with absurd counter-accusations by the parliamentary majority. And not only them, but the entire pro-government press has presented every request of our opposition group negatively, calling us enemies of the state, or trying to give it the image of a pure power struggle. Some of the most "difficult" moments, if any, I would mention the session in which I counted the Serb crimes in Kosovo and presented the request for clearing up the issue of all mass graves, the session in which the "dialogue with Kosovo" was discussed and my request that "Serbia must consider realistically the crimes committed in Kosovo", as well as the session in which in the framework of the demand for equality and unique standards in the Western Balkans regarding the use of national symbols, I raised the Albanian flag at the rostrum. The impulse of hatred towards the demands and the unveiled realities was strong in these sessions. These were moments when, in a way, I tried to take off the ‘democratic’ cloaks of Aleksandar Vucic’s radicals.  

- How much has your activity together with your parliamentary opposition group influenced the protection of the human rights of the Albanian community in the Presevo Valley? Can it be said that the Belgrade authorities felt your pressure to change their discriminatory and racist policy towards Albanians?

- Unfortunately, Belgrade has refused to admit throughout this mandate that it discriminates against Albanians. Government policy has continued to be equally discriminatory accompanied with a more hostile public use of hate speech against Albanians. Denying its guilt for the discriminatory policy towards Albanians, the Serbian government has continued to follow the same discriminatory trend throughout this term. 

- Have you ever felt the support of any Serbian parliamentary group of the majority or minority in your actions within the parliament?

- At no point. Besides us there was no other minority group in the previous legislation, while the majority, all in choir, opposed any appearance of me or of my colleagues from the opposition parliamentary group.

- You have insisted on the implementation of the three agreements on the Presevo Valley, which have been reached with an international presence. How effective have they been in favor of Albanians and as their guarantor have the internationals made efforts for the rigorous implementation of the accords, especially when Serbia is a candidate country for EU membership?

- In fact, the Albanians of the Presevo Valley have three agreements signed with the Serbian authorities in 2001, 2009 and 2013. All these agreements essentially had demands for improving the position of Albanians, building equality and respecting our collective characteristics. 

 Although these agreements were signed with the mediation of the international community, their non-compliance by Serbia has to do with the fact that at no point did the international community exert proper pressure on official Belgrade to respect them.

It is incomprehensible that Serbia, an EU aspirant country, has been tolerated to continue the discrimination against communities living within its territory and especially against Albanians in the Presevo Valley.

- Please let me touch upon the expected elections in Serbia. Will Aleksandar Vucic win another mandate continuing to be head of the Serbian state? Secondly, is there dissension to his rule among the Serbian people?

- Although I am convinced that Aleksandar Vucic’s sun has passed its zenith, I think that his victory cannot be endangered by an unorganized opposition, which does not have concrete platform of ideas about the future of Serbia, an opposition which is trying to defeat nationalist Vucic with greater nationalism. Therefore, although the protests of environmentalists, which were held in Serbia a few months ago, have shown a decline in the popularity of Vucic, his victory is not in jeopardy, at least not in this election.  

- "I am running for a new term in the Parliament of Serbia. I pledge for political battles!" You publicly stated the above on February 16, 2022. Where do you get your inspiration and confidence for winning a new mandate? Are you being faced with traps of Serbian circles to sabotage your candidacy?

- I can now confirm that my intention for a new mandate in the frame of the list "Coalition of Albanians of the Valley" has been formalized since the Central Election Commission has certified this list. I have pledged to continue the political battle for equality and more rights for Albanians of the Presevo Valley in the highest institution of Serbia. The support I have encountered everywhere for the way I have represented Albanians in the last term has inspired me to seek another term.   

The new geopolitical circumstances towards which Serbia should be positioned, if not right now, but certainly after April 3, can be a greater chance in our just struggle for equality, freedom and social welfare.   

-As a follow up, could you shed some light on how the Serbian authorities are undermining the participation of Albanians in the elections and is there any reaction of the international community regarding this discriminatory action because the EU and other international organizations talk a lot about the fundamental right to vote to every man anywhere in the world? 

- A large number of Albanians, especially in Medvedja, will not be able to exercise their right to vote due to the infamous and selective process of passivation of addresses. This is an administrative process which is trying to legalize the ethnic cleansing in the municipality of Medvedja. There are some reports in which the EU and the OSCE mention the process of passivation as worrying, but there is still no concrete reaction to this process from these international mechanisms. 

-Mr. Kamberi, Russia's bloody aggression against Ukraine continues and the risks to world peace are increasing. Serbia, as a traditional spiritual ally, has openly stated its support for Russia. Does this unfortunate development suit Vucic for his plans for a ‘Greater Serbia’ and how much threatened are Kosovo and Albanians in the Presevo Valley by his dangerous scheme and that of his followers in Serbia, who are all disciples of Milosevic's anti-Albanian policy?

- Serbia is traditionally Russophile, because of historical nostalgia, the common Orthodox religion, but also because of Serbia's expectations that the Russian veto will prevent Kosovo's membership in international organizations, especially in the UN.

Therefore it has initially been on the side of Russia at the outset of the aggression. But apparently, Aleksandar Vucic like Vladimir Putin have not expected such a determined reaction against the Russian aggression of the Western World led by the United States.

The US and EU steady reactions against Russian aggression, the applied sanctions, the clear threats made to Serbia and especially the demonstration of the Western power in Bosnia, all of these, I believe, have made it clear to Aleksandar Vucic what can happen to Serbia if it continues to support Russia and if it refuses to coordinate the stance on foreign policy in line with the EU strategy.  

Serbia still holds a vague position. It supports Ukraine's integrity for their well-known reasons, but refuses to deplore Russia and especially refuses to apply sanctions. I do not know how much it can maintain this political balance, but I do not believe that it will have the comfort of equilibrium after the April 3 elections.

Serbia is aware of the devastating consequences in case of confronting the Western World. That is why it has voted in favor of the UN resolution which condemns the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Everything remains open as Russophiles are numerous and influential within the Serbian society, especially the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has a dominant influence on Serbian society and the state.

- Albania is very active in supporting Ukraine as a non- permanent member of the UN Security Council and Ukraine is very grateful for that. Do you think that the Albanian diplomacy should have acted with the same eagerness to condemn the Serbian genocide against the Albanians in the Presevo Valley, making the protection of their violated rights major topic of this organization?

- It is to be welcomed that Albania, as a NATO member and EU aspirant country, comes out in open support for the people of Ukraine and against the Russian aggression. But also, as a member of the United Nations and its Security Council for a two-year mandate, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, Albania must be just as vocal about the rights of Albanians in the Presevo Valley, who demand nothing more than respect for the democratic standards of the European Union member of which Serbia claims to become.