Conjufca: Did Thaci ask someone when he made dialogue with Serbia on the level of presidents?

Kosovo-Serbia dialogue should be returned to the Parliament and that the Assembly should be the focus of this process. So it was said at the table organised by the Kosovo Democratic Institute, with the theme “the role of the Parliament in the future of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue”.

Vetevendosje MP Glauk Konjufca said Kosovo-Serbia talks have been forwarded with a distransparity and that Kosovo's Parliament has been overlooked in the process.

Konjufca calls this an unforgivable mistake and demanded that this dialogue be returned to the Parliament and that the Parliament be the focus of this process.

“While Prime Minister Hashim Thaci was, we had some understatement rule, that dialogue goes through the Government. When Hashim Thaci changed his position, he decided that dialogue would belong to the president. Neither was parliament asked as the country's highest institution nor other institutions. Such an important process is undergoing individual whims. Now we have to see where Hashim Thaci's next post will be, which by now would be the future dialogue with Serbia. This is unforgivable. This is not institutional culture. That's not institutional mentality. That depends on an individual's personal career. Depending on his journey, Brussels' dialogue will have that destiny. I am insisting, dialogue with Serbia is important to return to the Kosovo Assembly. The Assembly should be the focus of dialogue and the builder of this dialogue. And in close co-operation with the government and subjects regardless of the spectrum belonging to it, or the status or opposition formations, even with the president why not. But we reject this strategy of Hashim Thaci, and therefore we do not join him. Because it's a very dangerous political adventure”, he said.

MP Ahmet Isufi from AAK said they have supported this dialogue so that it can be equal, but during the process, the level of talks has been diverted, avoiding obligations that have been made especially on Serbia's part. While it says that the format of this dialogue must change.

“The degradation of the dialogue that has taken place in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia has forced us to say that this dialogue is harmful, therefore its format must be changed, Kosovo should have the preliminary platform to go to talks on topics that are useful for Kosovo and improved relations between Kosovo and Serbia, given the parties' obligation. From now on, caution is needed. Kosovo has its own institutions, has its leadership, has responsibility to these talks, and the Assembly must be the institution to continue to conduct ongoing talks that may exist. In addition to participating in the creation of a platform that would determine exactly what segments of the talks should be, as well as from representatives participating in talks on behalf of the Kosovo state to report the Kosovo Parliament”, he said.

That the Assembly should be locked up in this process is accepted by PDK deputy Elmi Recica. He said a change should be made, or the reshaping of this process.

“It is not controversial that Parliament is binding that interstate agreements should be ratified in the Kosovo Parliament and that with 2/3 of the vote. Any agreement about dialogue with Serbia must be locked, should be informed, and those who lead with dialogue anyone from institutions should report to the Assembly. Of course, it should be recorded in the Kosovo Assembly, it is a matter of vital interest, and if 2/3 of the representatives of the people are not declared and disagreed. Dialogue has stalled and without resolution in Mr. Haradinaj. We knew there was a deadlock and we wanted it and now we want it to become a change, to become a reformation, and this reshape necessarily requires consensus. Dialogue with Serbia since Vienna I've asked for national consensus. There was a unity team that started these talks and I think there should be a Unity Team, which would have to wrap up these talks”, he said.

Meanwhile, Bilall the Sheriff, from the Initiative for Kosovo, said he should no longer continue with the ostrich policy and that urgent decisions should not be made in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, which bring the state into trouble, as has happened with the agreement with the demarcation.

“It is good to focus on the future as society, as a political party in general dialogue with Serbia and what we aim for. Let's not go on with the ostrich policy, let's be like nothing's going on. We are witnesses when states enter international obligations, it is difficult and often impossible to go back. We're witnesses to the demarcation agreement. You see what difficulty the state has brought, pressing irresponsible obligations. If we had a responsible government, I'm sure we weren't there. Let us not rush to conceive of dialogue as an instrument, through which we will continue and complete the phase of disputes with Serbia “, the Sheriff said.