“The Assembly must act urgently”, Kryeziu says the session must be called by tomorrow at the latest on amending the Law on the Specialist Chambers

The Government last night approved the Draft Law on Supplementing and Amending the Law on the Specialist Chambers, proposed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo. The Government’s move was welcomed today by former Constitutional Court judge Kadri Kryeziu.

However, the vote on this Draft Law on the Specialist Chambers must now take place in the Assembly of Kosovo.

On this issue, former Constitutional Court judge Kadri Kryeziu emphasises to KosovaPress that the draft law sent to the Assembly by the Government must pass urgently in parliament, because of the short constitutional deadline for electing the president by 6 October.

He has asked the Assembly to call the session as soon as possible to process the Draft Law on Supplementing and Amending the Law on the Specialist Chambers.

He has even asked for the session to be called tonight or by tomorrow at the latest, so that the legal deadlines and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure are met.

Kryeziu emphasises the session should be called tonight or tomorrow at the latest, in order to achieve approval of the law in both readings in Parliament.

According to Kryeziu, if it is voted tomorrow in first reading, then after two days it can also be voted in second reading and afterwards the president is elected.

“The law that has been proposed in the Government and must pass to the Assembly is a very good move that the Government has made. And this must be done quickly, bearing in mind that we have the short deadline until 6 October. So they can hold the session tonight, tomorrow at the latest, and it can also be read twice in Parliament,” Kryeziu declared.

He emphasises that for laws to enter into force in Kosovo, they are voted in two readings. The difference between the two readings, according to him, must be at least 72 hours.

Kryeziu also spoke about the situation that could be created if the election of the president is not achieved within the constitutional deadline.

According to Kryeziu, the offices of the Presidency must not remain empty. He assesses that, based on legal and political logic, the Speaker of the Assembly should continue exercising the duty of president.

“Here we have a constitutional vacuum, but based on legal and political logic, the Speaker of Parliament, who has been re-elected, should continue, and continue for another six months, that is from point zero. So the offices of the Presidency must not remain empty, bearing in mind that it is a very important authority for Kosovo. And this is linked to Chapter 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, where in certain moments the state of emergency and other states that are not regular in the Republic of Kosovo are also foreseen,” he said.

Kryeziu added that this is also linked to Chapter 11 of the Constitution, where certain situations are foreseen, including the state of emergency.

He warned that if by 6 October the president is not elected, the country could go to extraordinary elections.

“The critical deadline is based on the judgment of the Constitutional Court which says that by 6 October the president must be elected. After 6 October, then based on the Constitutional Court’s judgment, we must go to extraordinary elections,” Kryeziu declared for KosovaPress.

In connection with this, PDK and the Alliance today asked for the Assembly session to be called today, 3 October, with the aim that the amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers be reviewed and voted. From these parties it was requested that parliamentary procedures be accelerated and the draft law be treated in both readings by 6 October.