The constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly was adjourned until Friday at 11:00 a.m. after parliamentary group leaders failed to reach an agreement on the procedure for voting on the Assembly’s deputy speakers.
Before the planned vote, Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu held a meeting with the leaders of the parliamentary groups to discuss the voting procedure.
During the session, Haxhiu also confronted Igor Simić, a representative of the Serb List, over a statement in which he had referred to himself as speaking “on behalf of the Serbian people.”
Haxhiu demanded that Simić withdraw the statement and apologize, arguing that such wording was contrary to Kosovo’s Constitution and emphasizing that the Assembly represents the Republic of Kosovo.
“This is the Republic of Kosovo; we are not in Serbia,” Haxhiu said, according to the exchange during the session.
Simić rejected the demand and maintained that he had the right to use the phrase. He continued to proceed with his remarks using the same wording, prompting further reactions from the Assembly leadership.
Haxhiu subsequently cut off Simić’s microphone and brought the exchange to an end.
The dispute came as the Assembly was preparing to vote on the proposed deputy speakers. The candidates include Ardian Gola from the Vetëvendosje Movement, Vlora Çitaku from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Kujtim Shala from the Democratic League of Kosovo, Slavko Simić from the Serb community and Emilia Rexhepi representing the non-Serb non-majority communities.
Following the meeting of parliamentary group leaders, Haxhiu announced that no agreement had been reached on the manner in which the deputy speakers should be elected.
The Assembly therefore postponed the continuation of the session until Friday at 11:00 a.m.
The delay leaves another key step in the constitution of Kosovo’s 11th Legislature unresolved, following Haxhiu’s election as Speaker.
