Tahiri–Haxhiu debate in the Assembly over the Specialist Chambers, PDK seeks urgent vote on the bill

The head of the PDK Parliamentary Group, Arian Tahiri, during the session of the Assembly of Kosovo, asked for a vote on the motion to bypass procedures for reviewing the bill on amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.

Tahiri asked for the motion to be voted on during today’s session, while the functional committee should treat the bill within the set deadlines, so that the session for its vote is held at 17:30.

“On behalf of the PDK Parliamentary Group, we request the vote on the motion to bypass procedure today by 16:30. The functional committee must by 17:00 present the bill on amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor, while the vote is to take place today at 17:30,” Tahiri said.

He called on all parliamentary groups to support the request, recalling that a similar motion had also been supported during the first reading.

“I ask for the support of each parliamentary group to support the motion, just as we voted it in the first reading,” he declared.

Tahiri’s request was opposed by the Speaker of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, who stressed the importance of electing the president and asked the political parties to agree on the further steps.

“We understand the importance, but the agreement was after Kurti’s meeting with Hamza, and this was done before the heads of the parliamentary groups. I do not understand how it is possible that only a few hours beforehand you come and make requests,” Haxhiu said.

According to her, the priority should be the election of Kosovo’s president, warning that failure in this process could take the country to elections.

“It is very important that we vote for the president. Meet, reach an agreement and come to the session. There is nothing more important than the president. We cannot take the country to elections,” she said, as Telegrafi reports.

Haxhiu also asked the leaders of the political parties to hold meetings and find an agreement, criticising the political use of the issue of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

“It is not right to play with the feelings of the protesters outside. The KLA cannot be defended by the PDK alone. The KLA belongs to everyone. You cannot have the KLA as your property,” Haxhiu declared.

The AAK MP, Besnik Tahiri, also joined the debate, saying that the situation inside and outside the Assembly is being followed with concern.

“We are following the situation with concern, both inside and outside. What we heard is that there is a commitment to approve this bill in two readings,” Tahiri said.

Meanwhile, the head of the PDK Parliamentary Group, Arian Tahiri, took the floor again, but his intervention was cut short halfway.

Tahiri stressed that the PDK’s request is related to the sensitivity of the situation and the protesters who are outside the Assembly building.

“Speaker, quite rightly, the sensitivity and the protesters… Today the Assembly is surrounded by citizens and protesters over this issue. We are asking that the motion be treated urgently and become fully effective urgently. The KLA is above each political party,” Tahiri said.