Kaqusha Jashari

{{Short description|Kosovan politician and engineer (1946–2025)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kaqusha Jashari

| image =

| caption =

| office = Member of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo

| term_start = 13 November 2007

| term_end = 3 November 2010

| parliamentarygroup = Democratic Party

| order2 = President of the League of Communists of Kosovo

| term_start2 = 27 April 1988

| term_end2 = 17 November 1988
{{fact|date=May 2025}}

| predecessor2 = Azem Vllasi

| successor2 = Remzi Kolgeci

| order3 = 10th Chairwoman of the Executive Council of SAP Kosovo

| term_start3 = 10 March 1987

| term_end3 = 9 May 1989
{{fact|date=May 2025}}

| president3 = Bajram Selani
Remzi Kolgeci

| predecessor3 = Bahri Oruçi

| successor3 = Nikolla Shkreli

| birth_name = Kaqusha Fejzullahu

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|8|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Pristina, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia {{small|(now Serbia)}}{{efn|name=PR|In the official biography of Jashari published by the Kosov0 Academy of Sciences and Arts,{{cite news|url=https://ashak.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Fjalori-Enciklopedik-i-Kosoves_I_A-K.pdf|title=Fjalori Enciklopedik i Kosovës I, A-K|trans-title=Encyclopedic Dictionary of Kosovo I, A-K|page=723|language=Albanian|publisher=Kosova Academy of Sciences and Arts|date=2018}} her place of birth is listed as Pristina.{{cite news|url=https://www.evropaelire.org/a/vdes-kaqusha-jashari/33406049.html|title=Vdes Kaqusha Jashari, ish-aktiviste politike dhe themeluese e PSDK-së|trans-title=Kaqusha Jashari, former political activist and founder of PSDK, dies|language=Albanian|publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=6 May 2025}} However, in an earlier version of her biography published by the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, her birthplace is recorded as Skenderaj,{{cite web|url=http://old.kuvendikosoves.org/?cid=1,102,546|title=Kaqusha Jashari|language=Albanian|publisher=Assembly of the Republic of Serbia|access-date=3 November 2010}} because it is claimed that at the time she was born, her father was on duty in this municipality.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/tvkamenica/posts/babai-i-kaqusha-jasharit-halil-fejzullahu-ishte-nga-fshati-tugjec-i-kamenic%C3%ABs-me/1090254866461197/|title=Babai i Kaqusha Jasharit, Halil Fejzullahu, ishte nga fshati Tugjec i Kamenicës|trans-title=Kaqusha Jashari's father, Halil Fejzullahu, was from the village of Tugjec in Kamenica|language=Albanian|publisher=TV Kamenica|website=Facebook|date=6 May 2025}}Wikipedia:SPS}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|5|6|1946|8|16|df=y}}

| death_place = Pristina, Kosovo

| party = Social Democratic Party (1990–2025)

| otherparty = League of Communists (until 1989)

| nationality = Kosovar
Yugoslav (formerly)

| module = {{Infobox handball biography|embed=yes

| years1 = 1961–1967

| clubs1 = Kosova Prishtinë

| years2 = 1967–1969

| clubs2 = Partizan

| years3 = 1969–197?

| clubs3 = Kosova Prishtinë

}}}}

Kaqusha Jashari ({{nee}} Fejzullahu; 16 August 1946 – 6 May 2025) was a Kosovan politician and engineer. She was a member of the Assembly of Kosovo on the Democratic Party of Kosovo list from 2007 onwards.

From 1986 until November 1988, she and Azem Vllasi were the two leading Kosovo politicians. In November 1988, they were both dismissed in the "anti-bureaucratic revolution" because of their unwillingness to accept the constitutional amendments curbing Kosovo's autonomy, and were replaced by proxies of Slobodan Milošević, the leader of the League of Communists of Serbia at the time.

Early life

Jashari was born in Pristina on 16 August 1946.{{efn|name=PR}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rulers.org/indexj.html|title=Index J|website=www.rulers.org}} She received her primary and secondary education in Kamenica, Gjilan and Pristina, while she started the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Belgrade and completed it in Pristina. She was the daughter of Halil Fejzullahu,{{Cite web|url=https://arhiva.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Srbija/442059/Iz-stana-me-isterao-otac-Kacuse-Jasari|title=Iz stana me isterao otac Kaćuše Jašari|website=Vesti online}}{{cite web|url=http://www.zemrashqiptare.net/news/id_2064/rp_0/act_print/rf_1/Printo.html|title=Nuset shqiptare në Serbi|trans-title=Albanian brides in Serbia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091309/http://www.zemrashqiptare.net/news/id_2064/rp_0/act_print/rf_1/Printo.html|language=Albanian|website=ZemraShqiptare.net|date=20 January 2008|archive-date=18 May 2015}} a World War II soldier from the village of Tugjec in Kamenica.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3456956834615152&id=100009026097912&rdid=rOMO1042XkZCnZyn#|title=Sot, në shenjë nderimi e respekti vizitova dhe pastrova varrin e prindërve të mi|trans-title=Today, as a sign of honor and respect, I visited and cleaned the grave of my parents|language=Albanian|publisher=Xhafer Leci|website=Facebook|date=6 September 2023}}Wikipedia:SPS The family had an apartment in Bulevar kralja Aleksandra, Belgrade, which Jashari lived in after her father's death, although Radmila Vuličević from Pristina claims to be the legal owner. She was the sister of former handball manager and player Petrit Fejzula.{{cite news|url=https://www.botasot.info/futboll-sporti/810465/e-njihni-yllin-e-kosoves-kur-luante-per-barcelonen-ishte-takuar-me-maradonen-para-37-vjetesh/|title=E njihni yllin e Kosovës kur luante për Barcelonën ishte takuar me Maradonën para 37 vjetësh|trans-title=You know the star of Kosovo when played for Barcelona he met Maradona before 37 years|language=Albanian|publisher=Bota Sot|date=26 December 2017}}

Politics

In May 1988, Jashari replaced Azem Vllasi as the President of the Provincial Committee of the League of Communists of Kosovo.{{cite book|title=Yugoslavia: A Concise History|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|last=Benson|first=Leslie|year=2001|page=[https://archive.org/details/yugoslaviaconcis0000bens_i0i2/page/149 149]|isbn=978-0-333-79241-4|url=https://archive.org/details/yugoslaviaconcis0000bens_i0i2|url-access=registration}} It seems that Serbia "accepted" her as it was said at the time it that her mother was Montenegrin.{{cite book|author=Viktor Meier|title=Yugoslavia: A History of Its Demise|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lRCDR464ut0C&pg=PA69|date=20 June 2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-66511-2|pages=69–}}

From 17 to 21 October, Albanians held protests throughout Kosovo against the changing of status of the SAP Kosovo.{{cite book|title=NIN. nedeljne informativne novine|issue=2531–2544|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3tgTAQAAMAAJ|year=1999|publisher=Politika|page=59}} On 17 November 1988, Jashari and Vllasi were forced to resign and Rahman Morina was elected President of the Provincial Committee on 27 January 1989 by the Presidium of the Provincial Committee.{{cite book|title=The Destruction of Yugoslavia: Tracking the Break-Up 1980-92|first=Branka|last=Magaš|year=1993|page=208|isbn=978-0-86091-593-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5np99Vgc0YC&pg=PA208}} This sparked new protests by Albanian youths and workers. They were both dismissed because of their unwillingness to accept the constitutional amendments curbing Kosovo's autonomy, and were replaced by proxies of Slobodan Milošević, the leader of the League of Communists of Serbia at the time.

On 20 October 1990, Marko Orlandić and Jashari guested the gathering of Serbs and Montenegrins in Kosovo Polje, which was not met with positive reactions.{{cite book|author=Milorad Đoković|title=Kosmetski dosije: ispovesti i sudbine prognanih Kosovaca|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=si-5AAAAIAAJ|year=1990|publisher=AIZ Dosije|page=98|isbn=9788681563045}}

She was the president of the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSDK) from 1991 until 2008,{{cite web|url=http://www.shqipmedia.com/2008/11/kaqusha-jashari-gjyshe-dhe-kuzhiniere-e-mire/|accessdate=2010-12-03|title=Kaqusha Jashari: Gjyshe dhe kuzhiniere e mirë|publisher=ShqipMedia.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111211541/http://www.shqipmedia.com/2008/11/kaqusha-jashari-gjyshe-dhe-kuzhiniere-e-mire/|archivedate=2010-11-11}} when she was succeeded by the former prime minister and Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerilla leader Agim Çeku.