Rasp: I hope the Association has executive competence

The chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in Kosovo, Nenad Rassic, does not expect the Association of Serb-run municipalities (AKS) to have executive competencies, as he says there is no space for the third level of power.

He, in an interview for the EO, estimates that to do so, all of Kosovo's laws have to be changed since 2008.

“at this moment, I don't see that there is space for a third level of power. To build such a thing, you have to bring back all laws that have been passed, for example, from 2008 and correct them completely, and it has to be a lot of work to do. This is certainly not done without two or three years in that direction of law correction, because the law is above all, every law must have procedure to approve or change”.

Therefore, I don't expect anything to change from the current situation to the ground, so I know it's becoming famous for the charter of association, I don't see that any change can happen, which could affect any of the laws”, says Rassic.

Discussions about the executive competencies of the AKS, the Serbian politician living in Kosovo, call them word games which, according to him, aim to create uncertainty among the people.

Rassic estimates that there is no contradiction between the Brussels Agreement and the Kosovo Constitutional Court's decision, because in both documents, according to him, it is said the Association statute should be in line with the Constitution and Kosovo laws.

“ ... both sides are using it to sell fog to the people, talking that this is inside. A party is insisting within the Brussels Agreement, the other side within Kosovo's laws, but they show the same thing, which means there is no conflict at all”, Rassic points out.

He says that in Kosovo the issue of association is being misused for individual political interests either by the president or by any political group.

According to him, sending the draft Association status to Brussels by the management team, without the Government of Kosovo knowing its contents, is absurd, as it estimates this is due to the non-responsability of institutions.

This is also an aspect of neglect and institutional responsibility both by the president and all the other elements. The government has no information what the document is, which should then be voted in Parliament, and this is absurd. Not only is it not serious, but this could have consequences in the future”, Rassic said.

Former Serbian Labour and Social Management Minister in the Government of Kosovo emphasises that strategic documents, such as the draft of the Association statute, cannot be sent and approved to another country, without a comprehensive discussion and analysis in Kosovo.

He doubts the manager group's capabilities for establishing the statute in line with Kosovo's laws and Constitution.

This is obvious, but since it has been the design of the statute, because so far what I have had the opportunity to see, there are not very good professionals who can create a strategic document, including all laws or by respecting the entire laws and Constitution of Kosovo.

So I doubt the concept or the quality of the document, precisely because of Serbs who will be as beneficial, who will still be used as a political presentation element, which will be all we have right now. A redization in the form which creates a confusion not only for Serbs, but also for Albanians”, Rassic claims.