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Life in Kosovo discuses illegal construction in Pristina

18 09 2008  This week the Life in Kosovo show looked at widespread illegal construction in Pristina.

Does Pristina have an urban development plan and, if so, why is it not being implemented? What is being done by the authorities to prevent public spaces being ruined by illegal construction? Are building contractors and their associates above the law?

To discuss these issues the panelists were:

Shiqeri Spahiu – head of Urbanism, Cadastre and Environmental Protection in the Pristina Municipal Assembly ;
Lulzim Nixha – architect, former head of Urbanism and Environmental Protection ;
Sylejman Ramadani – head of Lakrishte district.
Shemsi Veseli – member of the former opposition, and resident of Sunny Hill ;

Several owners of construction companies in Pristina were invited to take part in the debate but declined.

Asked what the current government has done about the problem of illegal construction, Spahiu said that construction has been banned completely in inner Pristina.

He said that more than 700 buildings had been put up illegally during election campaigns but that these were mainly in rural areas or in suburbs of Pristina, such as Cagllavica.

He said the number of cases in inner Pristina was relatively small.

Spahiu said that since the current government came to power, the Assembly had approved 46 of 713 applications for construction permits.

He said the low number of permits issued in the capital was due to a shortage of qualified construction engineers and surveyors.

Nixha said that many more buildings were built than the number of permits issued because of a lack of cooperation among the relevant agencies in the assembly.

Nixha said his team had taken just three months to produce a strategic plan for Pristina, compared to three years taken by the former city architect, Rexhep Luci, who died in mysterious circumstances.

He added that an urban plan without adequate population statistics could not be accurate or complete.

Shemsi Veseli said responsibility for the present situation rested with the competent institutions, which are not protecting the public interest. He said there was a corrupt link between contractors and officials.

The broadcast was recorded in the same week that prominent Pristina architect Rexhep Luci was murdered.

Veseli claimed that Luci’s killing was orchestrated by contractors who objected to building constraints in the capital.

Spahiu said that buildings which did not follow necessary procedures had been demolished, while in some cases builders were given an opportunity to comply with regulations retroactively.

“Every individual who wants to build is informed about all the necessary criteria in the office of Urbanization in the Municipal Assembly of Pristina,” Spahiu said. Asked why this information is not posted on the official website, Spahiu said steps were being taken to rectify this.

Sylejam Ramadani, head of Lakrishte district, pointed out that most citizens are unfamiliar with the details of urban planning and that Pristina residents “are living in an urban chaos lacking infrastructure, proper planning and space.”

A report from Lakrishte district prepared by Jeta Abazi focused on the district’s narrow and congested roads.

Residents complained about air pollution from construction work and said they had submitted petitions to the municipal assembly but had received no reply.

Spahiu said the problems in the district were temporary and would be resolved when construction was finished.

Nixha and Spahiu disagreed over the issue of which agency is entitled to issue construction permits in Pristina. Spahiu said permits were issued by the Municipal Assembly, while Nixha said the Kosovo Trust Agency, KTA, was the relevant body.

Veseli pointed out that while the residents of Lakrishte had asked for the construction of kindergartens, a primary school and two secondary schools, only high-rise buildings were being put up.

The report also showed recently built illegal buildings near Pristina Hospital.

Another report, prepared by Betim Musliu, revealed how helpless citizens and some government officials appear to be in the face of large investors and construction firms.

Among those who have been unable to prevent illegal construction is Justice Minister Nekibe Kelmendi .

When an eight-floor building was put up illegally in the street where the minister lives she reported the case to the authorities, including the local police, but no action was taken.

Pristina Mayor Isa Mustafa said in the report that the Assembly would monitor construction issues and take necessary measures, including suspending projects or ordering demolition.

Nixha pointed out that people continue to buy illegal apartments because they are cheaper, since permits have not been paid for and the quality of construction is low.

Veseli warned that demolition could be applied selectively to the advantage of public officials who are themselves involved in illegal construction, and he accused Spahiu and Nixha of building illegal annexes onto their own buildings.

Spahiu said he had done this for accommodation purposes and not for commercial gain.

Panelists agreed that there is no understanding among Kosovo architects that they should not work with contractors who deal in illegal construction projects.


Life in Kosovo is a co-production between Kosovo Public Television, RTK and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN. It is broadcast every Thursday, starting at 20:20.