The campaign for local elections puts the Parliament to sleep

The pre-election campaign for local elections, which will be held on 22 October, is estimated to be negatively affecting the functioning and work of the Kosovo Assembly. That is how political analysts and representatives of organisations monitoring the work of the Assembly assess.

Since the Kosovo Assembly has been dedicated, numerous drags that have contributed to the regular start of work in the institution are following it.

Artan Murati from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, the institute that monitors the work of the Parliament, says that since the constitutionalised, no regular work has been seen in the Assembly.

According to him, MPs are wasting time and that their actions have focused on the election campaign for local elections to be held on October 22nd. These behaviors, he underlines, are unwarranted.

“The Assembly is continuing with non-functional and by political subjects their focus is clearly being seen as being run in the election campaign for local elections. Most parliamentary political subjects have their own structures in Kosovo municipalities. There are many individuals, both from the Centre and MPs from various regions who are constantly supporting candidates for mayors in certain municipalities”, Murati says.

Similarly, Murati, a considerable number of current Kosovo Assembly deputies, is running for mayors, and this, according to him, is directly affecting their inaction with the central level and their work as MPs.

As party leaders or even deputies currently of the sixth legislature, “are constantly working on the campaign. The campaign is also directly affecting the failure and failure of the Parliament. Moreover, we must mention that the legislative agenda of the fifth legislature has never been met by more than 36 percent. There are many remaining bills in the procedure, plus we have a legislative plan approved by the Government, which has not yet been processed in the Parliament”, Murati points out.

On the other hand, political analyst Imer Mushkolaj tells Radio Free Europe that the Parliament is not at the proper level of responsibility. He says the non-function of the Assembly, whether by calling sessions or developing jobs on parliamentary commissions, cannot be reasoned.

“We unfortunately have not yet approved the government programme in the Kosovo Assembly. Even, it has not been discussed the Haradinaj Government government programme, while MPs are watching them campaign for local elections. This is a misuse of trust given on the part of citizens, and also misuse of public money because MPs are paid for the work that is characterising”, Mushkolaj estimates.

The Assembly would have to be assembled, says Mushkolaj, and any reasoning of any kind is unconvincing. So, according to him, continuing this trend by arguing that the election campaign is holding them back is unacceptable.

Otherwise, if it goes on in this form, then MPs should just take responsibility for the non-employment that is characterising and normal that must be called to account for them, because it is happening that they have blocked the work of the Assembly by failing to pass the laws that have yet to be passed”, says Mushkolaj.

The Kosovo Assembly has been considered dysfunctional since May of this year, when it was disbanded, while the new legislature -- apart from the constitutional session -- has failed to hold any regular plenary sessions.