Divided opposition blockade

Driton Selmanaj, deputy of the largest opposition party, the Democratic League of Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe that not participating this party in certain sessions is political approach co-ordinated with the other opposition party, the Vetevendosje Movement.

The last <x0). We have no obligation, no constitutional duty, to do most of the power. They are called to the right path which they possess, as though they have it, and we reject it, because they are not entirely entitled to it. They don't bring the vote of confidence, which means the Government would have to bring a motion to prove that it has sufficient numbers for governance in the country. We have chosen our own way so that we do not qualify political parties in power. They are there and then, if they are in number, then we will assess later on how we will vote”, Selmanaj stressed.

He has added that the Democratic League of Kosovo has no co-ordination with the other opposition Social Democrat Party.

The Vetevendosje Movement has the same approach. The party's MP, Albulen Haxhiu, has written on the social Facebook network, that “has long since the opposition, the Vetevendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo, are being co-ordinated for non-vote of the bills”. This for the reason, as she has said, “to prove that the current government is the minority government and there is no legitimacy to continue further”.

MP Haxhiu has accused the Social Democrat Party of taking the side of the government and that its deputies, as she has said, “have lost their way to court”.

But, Albanian Pantina, Kosovo's opposition MP from the Social Democrat Party, has said that nonparticipation in some Kosovo Assembly hearings of the party has been made in order to block the government's work.

Well, we don't think this is the right form, because in this case it's just been unable to pass some laws, but that hasn't prevented Government from going on with the projects, some of which may even be at the expense of the citizens' interest”, Pantina stressed.

MP Pantina has added that the current way of working the Assembly cannot go further. According to her, if the two opposition parties -- the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Vetevendosje -- are serious about the collapse of the current government, then they should take concrete steps.

We've even made public calls to those who have our support. They will have our 12 votes in case they take motion for the government's collapse. If that's not possible, if we can't secure them, like the opposition, 61 votes, then I believe we have to function the Parliament and through the Parliament to monitor Government and prevent projects, which are not in the country's interest, and of course, to push ahead of politics, consciously, bills that improve the lives of citizens”, Pantina said.

But, MP Selmanaj says statements by the Social Democrat Party are more about domestic consumption. However, according to him, even if the opposition bloc were to offer the Social Democrat Party votes, they would still be insufficient for the collapse of the government.

“We don't have (sufficient options) currently. The opposition is unknown. We can have, along with the Social Democrat Party, somewhere 59 (vota). We don't have two more. But the government should prove to us that there is a majority for Government. It's not enough if we're ready and we have numbers to take down. The idea is whether the government has legitimacy or not. The greatest effort or concern should be for them whether they have legitimacy to govern or not and not for us how to bring it down”, Selmanaj said.

However, Selmanaj has stressed that opposition parties are aiming to get the consent of at least one of the parties that are in power, in order to secure enough votes to bring down the current government and for the country to go to early parliamentary elections.