With the exception of the multi-ethnic parliamentary group, all political entities represented in the Assembly of Kosovo have registered their parliamentary groups for the eleventh legislature, within the mandatory deadline. Among deputies from non-Serb communities, the delay is occurring because the deputies who have taken positions in the executive branch have not yet been replaced. The group told KosovaPress that, according to unofficial information, deputies are expected to convene during this week, even though a case concerning the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the new government is currently before the Constitutional Court.
The registration of the parliamentary groups was confirmed to KosovaPress by Glauk Tahiri, adviser to Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu. However, he also mentioned the challenge to the constitution of the eleventh legislature in the Assembly, while calling for a swift decision from the Constitutional Court regarding the requests.
“Until today, Monday, the parliamentary groups have had an obligation to submit the names and composition of the parliamentary groups. As you know, the PDK parliamentary group has challenged the constitution of the Assembly and the decision on the voting of the government before the Constitutional Court. We hope for a swift decision from the Constitutional Court regarding the requests,” he told KosovaPress.
Roma community deputy Albert Kinolli told KosovaPress that the only reason the multi-ethnic parliamentary group has not yet been registered is that some of the deputies have taken ministerial positions in the Kurti 4 government.
He added that the multi-ethnic group will be formed as soon as the new deputies from the non-Serb communities are sworn in.
This is why the multi-ethnic parliamentary group has not yet been registered in the Assembly.
“The only reason is that four members or participants of the multi-ethnic parliamentary group have joined the government and taken ministerial positions. They must be replaced by new deputies, and since the new deputies have not yet taken their oath, the parliamentary group cannot be formed. Once the new deputies have replaced the former deputies, then, after taking the oath, the parliamentary group is formed,” he emphasized.
According to Kinolli, the Assembly could even hold a plenary session during this week.
Vullnet Bugaqku, a researcher at the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), does not consider the holding of plenary sessions and the functioning of the Assembly’s work, including through parliamentary committees, to be a problem.
According to him, as long as there is no interim measure from the Constitutional Court and no decision regarding the request submitted by PDK, the Assembly is fully functional.
“As long as there is no interim measure and there is still no decision on the merits regarding the issue of the constitution of the Assembly, no one is preventing these deputies from convening a session, whether to debate the issue of a resolution on the Specialist Chambers or to address other issues. It depends on the political will, above all that of the majority. They have the numbers ready, they lead the parliament, and it also depends on the will of the Assembly Speaker,” he emphasized.
Jurist Anton Ndrecaj shares the same view. However, he mentions the need for PDK to return to the Assembly and vote on its proposal for a deputy speaker.
According to him, the request before the Constitutional Court could be withdrawn on this issue, while only the procedure concerning the constitutional deadline for constituting the Assembly could continue.
“If PDK returns to the Assembly and agrees to continue the procedure for voting on the deputy speaker of the Assembly from PDK’s ranks, then the Assembly can begin its work, even though the request has been submitted to the Constitutional Court. That request can be supplemented and the part concerning the complaint about the deputy speaker of the Assembly can be withdrawn, while the procedure concerning the constitutional deadline for constituting the Assembly can continue,” he emphasized.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo submitted to the Assembly of Kosovo on Monday the Draft Law on Amending and Supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.
This legislative initiative comes after the verdict by the Specialist Chambers against former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi — a verdict that the political spectrum and citizens have opposed and described as unjust and unacceptable.
Following the sentencing of the former KLA leaders on September 16, PDK left open the possibility of returning to the Assembly, after submitting a request to the Constitutional Court concerning the constitutionality of the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the new government.
