Sadri Ferati (born 10 June 1957) is a politician in Kosovo. He was minister of local government in the Republic of Kosovo government from 2008 to 2010 and served in the Assembly of Kosovo from 2011 to 2017. Ferati is a member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).
Early life and career Ferati was born to a Kosovo Albanian family in Kosovska Mitrovica, in what was then the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija in the People's Republic of Serbia, People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pristina in mining and metallurgy and has worked in the private sector and for state institutions.
Politician In the 1990s, most members of the Kosovo Albanian community boycotted Serbian state institutions and took part in parallel governing structures. Ferati was a member of the "parallel" Assembly of Kosovo. He later appeared in the seventieth position on the LDK's electoral list in the 2004 Kosovan parliamentary election, which was held under closed list proportional representation, and was not elected when the list won forty-seven seats.ZGJEDHJET PËR KUVENDIN E KOSOVËS 2004 – Fletëvotimi për Zgjedhjet për Kuvend të Kosovës 2004 (Lista e Kandidatëve për Zgjedhjet për Kuvend të Kosovës 2004), Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, accessed 27 January 2022.Periudha e dytë Legjislative (23.11.2004 - 12.12.2007), Assembly of Kosovo, accessed 2 February 2022.
Ferati became chief executive officer in the local government of southern Mitrovica in 2005. He responded negatively to the Ahtisaari Plan for self-rule in Kosovo two years later, saying that full independence was inevitable and could take the form of a unilateral declaration."UN envoy's Kosovo proposal angers Albanian majority," Irish Times, 27 January 2007.
He ran for mayor of Mitrovica in the 2007 Kosovan local elections and was defeated in the second round by Bajram Rexhepi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).ZGJEDHJET PËR KRYETARË TË KOMUNAVE 2007 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Raundi i parê) , Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 11, accessed 14 January 2022.ZGJEDHJET PËR KRYETARË TË KOMUNAVE 2007 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Raundi i dytê) , Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 10, accessed 14 January 2022.
Minister of Local Government (2008–10) The 2007 Kosovan parliamentary election did not produce a clear winner and led to a coalition government of the PDK and LDK. On 9 January 2008, Ferati was appointed as minister of local government."Kosovo's new government," Agence France Presse, 9 January 2008.
Ferati's main policy initiative was decentralization, and much of his attention was focused on integrating Kosovo's Serb community into the political institutions of the Pristina government. Shortly before Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in February 2008, he visited Babin Most in Obiliq to meet with Serb returnees who indicated their willingness to remain in an independent state."Serb family voices readiness to stay in Kosovo after independence," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 26 January 2008 (Source: Text of report by public Radio-Television Kosovo TV on 24 January). On more than one occasion, he pledged that his government would ensure the safety of Serb returnees generally."Kosovo returns minister says government to create safe environment for Serbs," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 31 January 2008 (Source: Text of report in English by Pristina-based independent internet news agency KosovaLive)."Kosovo minister says conditions exist for the return of displaced Serbs," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 27 March 2008 (Source: Text of report in English by Pristina-based independent internet news agency KosovaLive). In the same period, Ferati also supported the efforts of displaced Albanians to return to their homes into the predominantly Serb northern part of Mitrovica."Kosovo government pledges support for Albanians' return to divided town," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 27 August 2008 (Source: Excerpt from report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 25 August).
After Kosovo's declaration of independence, the Serbian government held its own parallel local elections in Kosovo in May 2008. Ferati indicated that Kosovo's government would not recognize the results or co-operate with the elected officials."Serbian local elections in Kosovo illegal, says UN," Trend News Agency (Azerbaijan), 11 May 2008. He was quoted as saying, "Serbia will never establish its institutions in Kosovo; Serbian laws will not be implemented in Kosovo. We are offering an opportunity for everyone to be equal, for everyone to perceive the state and its institutions as something that belongs to all of you, to all Kosovans.""Kosovo envoy warns Serbs against parallel structures after 15 June," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 6 June 2008 (Source: Text of report by public Radio-Television Kosovo TV, on 5 June).
In June 2008, Ferati oversaw the creation of the municipalities of Junik, Hani i Elezit, and Mamusha (the latter being the only municipality in Kosovo with a Turkish majority)."Three pilot municipalities to be formed under new Kosovo decentralization law," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European (Source: Text of report in English by Pristina-based independent internet news agency KosovaLive). He later established the predominantly Serb municipalities of Klokot, Gračanica, Ranilug, and Parteš, and worked toward the creation of a North Mitrovica municipality."Kosovo's EU envoy says Serbs elected on 11 May cannot lead new municipalities," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 9 August 2008 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 7 August)."Decentralization to eliminate Kosovo Serb parallel structures - minister," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 15 April 2009 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Express on 13 April)."Kosovo government to appoint team for setting up north Mitrovica municipality," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 25 January 2010 (Source: Text of report by public Radio-Television Kosovo on 22 January)."Kosovo Serb official reiterates opposition to 'strategy for north'," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 16 March 2010 (Source: Text of report in English by Serbian pro-western Belgrade-based Radio B92 website, on 15 March). Ferati said that his government's end goal was for Kosovo to have thirty-eight municipalities, of which twenty-seven would be predominantly Albanian, ten predominantly Serb, and one with a Turkish majority."Kosovo official urges minorities to cooperate on decentralization process," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 20 February 2009 (Source: Text of report in English by Pristina-based independent internet news agency KosovaLive). In August 2009, he said that the Serb municipalities would have significant autonomy and would effectively provide Serbs with a "state within the state of Kosovo.""Kosovo minister says new Serb municipalities to be like 'state within the state'," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 14 August 2009 (Source: Excerpt from report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 11 August). The context indicates he was referring to the municipalities individually and not to a proposed Community of Serb Municipalities.
Ferati urged Serbs to participate in the 2009 Kosovan local elections."Kosovo minister says late elections to be held in Serb areas in case of boycott," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 9 June 2009 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Express on 7 June)."Kosovo local government minister optimistic about Serbs' local poll turnout," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 5 November 2009 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian newspaper Kosova Sot on 3 November). Following the vote, he welcomed the election of Serb mayors who pledged to work within Kosovo's institutions."Newly-elected Serb municipality mayors pledge to respect Kosovo laws," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 21 December 2009 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Express on 19 December)."Mayor, assembly of Kosovo majority-Serb municipality of Gracanica sworn in," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 31 December 2009 (Source: Text of report by public Radio-Television Kosovo TV on 29 December). In June 2010, he described as encouraging a high Serb turnout in the election to establish the new Parteš municipality."Kosovo, ICO officials 'encouraged' by high Serb turnout in Partes election," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 25 June 2010 (Source: Excerpt from report by Kosovo Albanian private-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 22 June).
In a 2010 interview, Ferati said that a "one city with two municipalities" model was the only viable solution to the situation in Mitrovica."Zgjidhja për Mitrovicën 'qytet me dy komuna'" , Telegrafi, 22 August 2010, accessed 2 February 2022.
Although the decentralization plan was supported by some in the Serb community,"Kosovo Albanian, Serb leaders say decentralization in interest of all," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 19 December 2008 (Source: Text of report by public Radio-Television Kosovo TV on 18 December)."Serb parallel structure members apply to join Kosovo's local institutions," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 14 August 2009 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 12 August. it was not endorsed by the Serbian government and did not lead to a breakthrough in Pristina's relations with the predominantly Serb municipalities in Kosovo's north."Events in north Kosovo show authority still wielded by UNMIK administration," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 2 September 2009 (Source: Excerpt from report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 28 August)."Kosovo government reportedly seeking 'moderate Serbs' for integration of north," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 25 January 2010 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 22 January). The plan was also opposed by the Kosovo Albanian Vetëvendosje party, which argued that it would lead to the "ethnic division" of Kosovo. During this period, Vetëvendosje used the slogan, "Decentralization Means Partition - Partition Means War.""Kosovo radical movement urges election boycott to prevent decentralization," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 3 June 2009 (Source: Text of report by Kosovo Albanian privately-owned newspaper Koha Ditore on 2 June)."Kosovo Serbs, Albanians express reservations about decentralization," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 24 July 2009 (Source: Text of report by Serbian newspaper Politika website on 13 July).