Degrading language MPs are undermining the image of the Assembly

The degradation of MPs' vocabulary in the Kosovo Assembly is breaking all public presentation rules, as well as laws in power, civil society representatives say.

The bitter, degrading and offensive debate continues to be present at almost every session of the Kosovo Assembly.

The latest case was in Thursday's session, when session leader Xhavit Haliti, deputy head of the Parliament, has held a fierce and offensive debate with MP Arben Gashi from the Democratic League of Kosovo, as he was not granted the right to speech for a replica, and has also used insulting words.

Albert Krasniqi, from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, this organisation that monitors the work of the Parliament, tells Radio Free Europe, that MPs themselves acknowledge that the Assembly has lost its image and that it has been built for years. This, according to Krasniqi, is also taking place in the fact that MPs' vocabulary is degrading. He claims that degrading language has already become normal languages in the Assembly.

This also shows the lack of integrity of these deputies, who have such a vocabulary and use it in the Assembly, even in their daily discussions, this is the language with which many communicate, and it's hard now for them to communicate with another language when they lose patience. Thus, they return to what they can do best and not to come up with arguments against each other, their political views”, Krasniqi estimates.

Krasniqi says that on the basis of Kosovo's Parliament Rule, parliamentary heads of hearings, for MPs using offensive language, can take measures and take action, but, as he says, it is not happening.

The worst “Akom is when from the very leaders of the plenary hearings is happening [diction degradation] and are the promoters of these crossings such as Mr. Haliti[Javi Haliti] that we have seen very often in this recent role”, Krasniqi says.

Sociology university professor Shemsi Krasniqi tells Radio Free Europe that by the way MPs communicate, but other politicians also show they have a deficit of language, communication and courtesy.

“This deficit may not be met with any training or reproof or any punishment of the superiors, but these would have to be punished by citizens. This seems to be coming from even an excessive self-confidence of MPs, a certain authoritarianism they have created, and they seem to be irreplaceable. I think they should get the punishment earned by society for this communication, so also for this degrading language that they're using, because they also set a poor example in society”, Krasniqi estimates.

Directors in nongovernmental organisations say that instead of offering arguments and facts in various debates, MPs offer a dictionary, as they call it, dirty, heavy, insulting, and offensive to the conversationators.

Valmir Ismaili, analyst from nongovernmental organisation “Democracy Plus”, tells Radio Free Europe, that Kosovo's Assembly is the highest lawmaker institution from which tolerance, goodwill and democratic language would have to be promoted, but in fact the opposite is happening.

“If citizens see this happening in the Kosovo Assembly, what are we expected to have in other institutions that are not as relevant as the Kosovo Assembly? Hence, there should be punishment measures for those who make such a language. Otherwise the reputation of Kosovo's Parliament will fall even further below”, Ismaili says.

Political analysts also stress that discours and behaviors, with which certain representatives of political parties are served in public presentations and even in the Assembly, reflect the lack of intellectualism in politics.