The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) held its next meeting today, where it discussed the progress of the process for selecting the Chief State Prosecutor and conducted a secret vote to select one of the five candidates whose name will be sent for appointment to Acting President Albulena Haxhiu.
KPC Chairperson Arian Gashi said that five applications were submitted within the legal deadline for the competition: Atdhe Dema, Naim Abazi, Rafet Halimi, Shqipdon Fazliu, and Zejnullah Gashi.
He stated that the KPC Secretariat reviewed the applications and confirmed that all candidates met the required criteria.
“Afterwards, they were interviewed and scored, calculations were completed, and the results were published by the KPC. The candidates also received copies of the final evaluations from all members of the assessment panel and had the right to appeal until July 7,” Gashi said.
KPC member Milot Krasniqi did not participate in the vote, stating that he would abstain.
Following this, a secret vote was held for the nomination of the Chief State Prosecutor. Six other KPC members participated in the voting.
Prosecutor Zejnullah Gashi received the majority of votes, with five votes in his favor, while Rafet Halimi received one vote.
“I conclude that, following the secret vote, the KPC nominates Zejnullah Gashi for Chief State Prosecutor with five votes. He will be proposed to the President of the Republic for appointment as Chief State Prosecutor,” Arian Gashi said.
Zejnullah Gashi currently heads the Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina, the largest prosecution office in Kosovo.
During the evaluation process, Gashi received 91.6 points from the KPC assessment panel in the competition for Chief State Prosecutor.
Before the panel, he presented his main objectives if appointed to the position, highlighting his professional experience in the justice system, managerial experience as Chief Prosecutor of the Pristina Basic Prosecution Office, Deputy Chief Prosecutor, and KPC member, as well as his focus on improving efficiency, independence, and results in the fight against crime.
Gashi’s name has previously been mentioned in political discussions and controversies due to his high-level positions, including past criticism from officials of the Vetëvendosje Movement. His evaluation process in the competition for Chief State Prosecutor has also received significant media attention.
