Tahiri: Thaci is trying to hide behind referendum, imitating Vuciqi

On this issue, political analyst Ramush Tahiri has told Periscope that President Thaci is imitating Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, who weeks earlier had warned the referendum as a solution to the Kosovo issue.

But Tahiri confirms in Kosovo holding the referendum is prohibited by law, while in Serbia it is allowed.

Kosovo has been prohibited by law from holding the referendum. Lawmakers when they have made the Constitution., knowing that the majority population is Albanian and with the referendum declared to join Albania, have wanted to prevent such a thing and Kosovo is now a citizen state, and at Article 1, points 3 it is forbidden to join other states, part or whole Kosovo, as well as giving or taking the entire territory. That's pretty clear: ”, Tahiri said of Periscope.

To change this, Serbian List votes are also needed.

For the constitution to change, the qualified majority of communities are needed. So I have to have the Serbian List, and for that, Kosovo cannot change the Constitution and therefore is not able to organise referenda on various issues, the character of the state or of greater changes”, Tahiri said.

According to him, Thaci is entitled to launch such an initiative for changing the Constitution, for which the issue should then be declared the Parliament.

“With what he's saying, Thaci is being put into the role of the opinionists, but the country's president is entitled to launch an initiative for changing the Constitution and then proceed to the Parliament, then the Parliament is in charge of review and is issued. You can't refuse. Even in this case the president may seek the law for referendum, but he has no right to do so. The government does. But the president has the right to proselytize that law to be changed”, he added.

Tahiri further said Thaci is not authorised to negotiate with Serbia, as there is no mandate from the Parliament.

According to him, the president can negotiate with Vuciqi on various political issues, but no agreement between them can pass without two-thirds of the deputies' votes.

“This referendum issue, Thaci does it after advisers call it an opinion, but he has not undertaken any legal initiative. He tries to hide behind the referendum in statements and shares responsibility with the people. It is fair that major issues pass into referendum”, he said.

He warned that if the Law is made for referendum, it could be exploited on other issues as well.

President Thaci today warned that he is making efforts to enable holding referenda in Kosovo.

“He has said he is making all efforts to prosecute a bill in the country that will enable holding referenda on various issues. I'm trying to get citizens to express themselves in the future with a referendum. Especially for dialogue with Serbia and reaching an agreement, where citizens can express themselves through the referendum. Citizens of Kosovo should have the opportunity to talk about such cases, especially now when we have such dilemmas. If we had the referendum mechanism, no one would have been able through populism to prevent the Kosovo Army vote”, Thaci said./Periscopi