Haxhiu: The Assembly’s declaration on the Specialist Chambers carries no legal weight, but sends an important message

Kosovo Assembly Speaker and acting president Albulena Haxhiu said it was important for the Assembly to express its position through a declaration on the verdict against the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

On RTV Dukagjini’s “Debat Plus”, in a conversation with host Ermal Panduri, Haxhiu said the Assembly’s declaration also matters for the future, so that new generations know what this institution’s position on the ruling was.

“After the unjust ruling, it was very important for the Assembly of Kosovo to have its say on this verdict. Perhaps not only in today’s circumstances, but even after many years, when we talk about such a ruling, the young men and women of the Republic of Kosovo should know what the Assembly’s role was,” Haxhiu said.

She also answered criticism that the Assembly had not convened earlier to adopt the declaration, explaining that the institution had been in a contested situation before the Constitutional Court, as had the Government.

“We assessed that we should wait for the Constitutional Court’s ruling. There was no constitutional measure,” she said.

Haxhiu stressed that after the verdict against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, tensions and inflammatory language had appeared in public discourse, both in television debates and on the streets.

“I considered it important that a few days pass and then we reach the Assembly, agree on such a declaration, which is an expression of the political will of the Assembly of Kosovo,” Haxhiu said.

She clarified that the declaration carries no legal weight, but, in her view, its importance lies in the political message and the unity shown by the parliamentary parties.

“It has no legal weight, but it is important to convey a message and to show that all parliamentary groups – Vetevendosje, PDK, LDK, AAK and the non-majority communities – managed to come together and adopt a declaration,” Haxhiu said.