PENSION- PRE-ELECTION CAMAPAING?

Intro:
The Government of Kosovo decided to increase the pensions for around 70 percent of their current value. This on one hand is a bit late but great news for retired people who barely survive with these pensions. The opposition parties fiercely criticized this decision. However, the Government argues that this decision was agreed way ahead and it is made public during the pre-election campaign only for coincidence. The Kosovan opposition considers this step as pre-election campaign marketing. The Government for the opposition reaction says literally the same thing.

Story: Arben Llapashtica
llapashticaarben@hotmail.com
KIJAC student
Intro to radio reporting

(Noise from one of the pre election campaigns).

This atmosphere comes from one of the pre-election campaigns in Kosovo that is organized due to triple elections, which will be held on November 17th.

One of the several pre-election campaigns made from party leaders is the increase of the pensions for retired people.

This part of the Kosovo society has threatened with boycotting the elections because they feel discriminated with the pension they get, which is only 40 euros per month.

Few days before the start of pre-election campaign, leaders of the opposition parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of pensioners.

On the other hand, the Government after consultations with International Monetary Fund and the World Bank has decided to increase the pensions.

Government spokesman, Avni Arifi, confirmed this.

Dek: Avni Arifi, Government spokesman
“From January 1st of next year around 35 thousand pensioners that have been contributors to the old pension Fund will have pension of 75 euros per month”

However, it seems that nothing has changed at the Association of Pensioners.

They continue playing chess and dominos – pensioner’s favorite games and they seem not to be attracted by the decision of the Government.

They just do not believe these promises.

Zekë Bajtullahu, 70-year-old man does not have any faith to the Kosovo institutions.

“To what extent I believe my dead father will revive, to that extent I believe to increase of the pension. They did not let anything without promising. Nothing has been done”.

An education veteran that has contributed for 25 years to this sector, Bejtullah Tahiri, says that his pension is discriminatory.

He adds that they are used only to attract as many voters.

“I do not believe them. I believe only to Allah. You cannot believe them. They have lied to us, they have underestimated us, and they have humiliated us. They have been our pupils and they don’t remember us”.

The decision of the Government to increase the pensions for the contributing pensioners has launched a critical reaction from the opposition parties.

The largest opposition party, Democratic Party of Kosovo, says that the decision of the Government to raise the pensions is only political marketing.

Vlora Çitaku, spokeswoman of PDK says it could have been done earlier.

“In fact this seems to be as a part of pre-election campaign of the Government. We have asked earlier to increase the pensions while the Government did this just now although it could have done earlier”.

Another opposition party, ORA considered this decision “a useless one”.

Fatmire Kollçaku from this party had organized a press conference to discuss this decision.

“With no law, there are no pensions, because the law is the basis for this and every other thing, everything else is just a useless promise, a promise given in the pre-election campaign”.

However, these reactions from opposition parties do not make an impression to the Prime Minister Agim Çeku.

“I understand this reaction as a part of pre-election campaign. But the most important thing is that the increase of pensions will happen. It is not important if it is going to happen now or after a month, with this Government or the next one.”

A pensioner who accidentally during the campaign met on the street with Hashim Thaçi, the leader of PDK, said to him:

Pensioner:
“We give, give, give… and we die from hunger my friend”.

Hashim Thaçi:
“Till now it was like it was. Our project is at least 100 percent for pensioners of Kosovo”

Pensioners will start to get their increased pensions of 75 Euros per month starting from January 1st 2008.

But even thus, it is not good news for this category of people; especially after the prizes of elementary food products have been raised.

Together with the raise of pensions, prize of flour has increased also from 40 to 70 Euros.

Only 5 euros remain to the pensioners to buy everything else except the bread.