Almost all parliamentary groups registered; Kosovo Assembly expected to hold a session this week

With the exception of the multiethnic group, all political entities represented in the Kosovo Assembly have registered their parliamentary groups for the eleventh legislature, within the mandatory deadline. Among the deputies of the non-Serb communities, this delay is occurring because the replacement of deputies who have taken posts in the executive has not yet been done. Sources in this group told KosovaPress that, according to unofficial information, the deputies are expected to convene during this week, even though there is a case before the Constitutional Court on the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the new government.

The registration of the parliamentary groups was confirmed for KosovaPress by Glauk Tahiri, adviser to the Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu. However, he also mentioned the contesting of the constitution of the eleventh legislature in the Assembly, while calling for a swift decision by the Constitutional Court on the requests.

‘As of today, Monday, parliamentary groups were obliged to submit the names and composition of the parliamentary groups. As you know, the PDK parliamentary group has contested the constitution of the Assembly and the decision on the vote of the government at the Constitutional Court. We hope for a swift decision by the Constitutional Court on the requests,’ he told KosovaPress.

Deputy from the Roma community Albert Kinolli told KosovaPress that the only reason the multiethnic parliamentary group has not yet been registered is that some deputies have taken ministerial posts in the Kurti 4 government.

He added that the multiethnic group will be formed as soon as the new deputies from the non-Serb communities are sworn in.

‘The only reason is that four members of the multiethnic parliamentary group have moved into the government and taken ministerial posts. They must be replaced with new deputies; since the new deputies have not yet been sworn in, the parliamentary group cannot be formed. The moment the new deputies replace the old ones, after the swearing-in, the parliamentary group is formed,’ he stressed.

Moreover, according to Kinolli, the Assembly may hold a plenary session during this week.

Researcher at the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) Vullnet Bugaqku 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 by the Constitutional Court and no decision on the request submitted by the PDK, the Assembly is fully functional.

‘As long as there is no interim measure and no meritorious judgment yet on the matter of the constitution of the Assembly, nothing prevents these deputies from calling a session, whether to debate the resolution on the Specialist Chambers or to address other issues. It depends on political will, above all that of the majority. They have the numbers ready and lead the parliament, and it also depends on the will of the Assembly Speaker,’ he stressed.

Jurist Anton Ndrecaj is of the same opinion. However, he mentioned the need for the PDK to return to the Assembly and for its proposal for deputy speaker to be voted on.

According to him, on this matter the request to the Constitutional Court could be withdrawn and only the procedure on the constitutional deadline for the constitution of the Assembly could continue.

‘If the PDK returns to the Assembly and agrees to continue the procedure for voting the deputy speaker of the Assembly from the ranks of the PDK, then the Assembly can start its work, even though the request has been sent to the Constitutional Court. That request can be completed and the part concerning the complaint about the Assembly deputy speaker withdrawn, and the procedure on the constitutional deadline for the constitution of the Assembly can continue,’ he said.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo submitted to the Kosovo Assembly 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 Specialist Chambers’ guilty verdict against the 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, calling it unjust and unacceptable.

After the conviction of the former KLA leaders on September 16, the PDK has left open a return to the Assembly, as it has submitted a request to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the new government.