Constitution Day (Albanian: Dita e Kushtetutës)is a public holiday in Kosovo, observed on April 9th. If this holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be observed as the public holiday.
This day commemorates the ratification of the country's constitution in 2008.
History of Kosovo Constitution Day
The Republic of Kosovo is a partially-recognized state and disputed territory at the heart of the Balkans in South-eastern Europe.
Following the collapse of Yugoslavia, ethnic tensions in Serbia erupted into to the Kosovo War in 1998.
The conflict resulted in the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.
In November 2005, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Martti Ahtisaari to lead the Kosovo status process.
On February 17th 2008, the Kosovo assembly unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia "in full accordance with the recommendations of U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari." It pledged to be a democratic republic and accept all the obligations under the Ahtisaari plan, including the adoption of a new constitution within 120 days.
The constitution was signed on April 7th 2008 at 13:00 local time at the national library in Pristina.
The constitution was then ratified on April 9th and came into effect on June 15th 2008.
It is the most important legal document which guarantees the basic rights and freedoms of all the citizens of the country.
