Dialogue platform sent to Parliament without commission consent

While, with 5 votes for and 4 votes against, the draft law on duties, responsibilities and competencies of the state delegation in the process of dialogue with the neighbouring state has passed for second reading at the next session of the Assembly.

The platform was sharply criticised by opposition party members, as according to them this document has major problems, as it does not protect Kosovo's independence and citizenship, and that the government does not clearly position itself in the face of President Hashim Thaci's positions for restructuring the border.

The MP from LDK ranks, Dorothy Maloku, had a request for the dialogue to leave the agenda, as according to her, the law has not yet entered into force and as such cannot be discussed.

Subsequently, the law has not yet passed and the state delegation has not yet received these competencies. Everything that has happened between the December 15th resolution and today, everything they have done, is non-legal, because they have no legal basis for bringing the platform. Even it's embarrassing since the Speaker of the Parliament is trying to put the Foreign Affairs Commission in madness to bring here a document, a platform of such importance outside legal”, she said.

The commission's chairman, Vjosa Osmani, supported this request. However, despite that, the request was not approved and by five votes, members decided that the platform for dialogue be discussed on the commission.

Stressing the shortcomings of this platform, Osmani said Kosovo's citizenship is not protected by it, but only at risk, as it says Kosovo will accept all past agreements that have taken place, including that of 2013 meaning the establishment of association of Serb majority municipalities.

She made it known that the platform for dialogue with Serbia does not address the role of other state institutions, as according to her, the president does not have the right to create positions, but only to protect the government's positions.

The “is paradoxic with extracting documents which open the way to negotiating the status and territory of Kosovo, that is paradox. From the outset, this team that is trying to form is positioned in terms of the first agreement on principles regulating the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Consequently, the state delegation accepts, not only the April 2013 agreement, with which the association of Serbian municipalities has been established. The state delegation is determined not to apply to these organisations without the agreement happening with Serbia, in some way and a position it has maintained, and the president so far who insists, a language and earlier that Serbia has mentioned, that without agreement with Serbia, Kosovo cannot continue its international empowerment and cannot apply to UN agencies, such as U. NCO, or World Health Organization and so on. The outcome we have before us is a document that neither protects the territory of Kosovo, therefore does not defend its independence and citizenship”, said MEP Osmani.

VV deputy Glauk Konjufca said the platform shows the crisis in terms of political legitimacy in dialogue with Serbia.

He had criticism and for his former party members, as he said, in the election of 2017 they have sought votes for Kosovo with the current territory, while now negotiating border correction.

The state delegation must address the president, and toė show that there is no mandate to develop the activity it has done so far, concrete issues have to do with two topics. The first, the president's statement that the border between Kosovo and Serbia will be 430km and the second issue -- what effectively explained and at this last table were political party leaders five or six days ago. The president said that unless the agreement with Serbia is reached very soon the region will be destabilised. This delegation should ask the president who will destabilise the region unless the agreement is reached with Serbia, because I think the agreement with Serbia can and cannot be reached ... delegation should require clarification of who thinks he will destabilise the region unless the agreement is reached with Serbia, what precise information has it for destabilising the region and why there are such claims”, Konjufca said.

MP from the PDK ranks Evgeni Thaci had charges against members of this commission, as, according to her, at no moment has it been said there would be division and exchange of territories.

She had a question for the members of this commission, for according to her, no one could oppose taking Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja within the Kosovo border.

I don't know how you can get yourself into Serbia's position and think like them, what you're looking for in dialogue with Kosovo. Who has not mentioned the exchange of territories, the division of Kosovo except you ... Which one of you here is against taking Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja within the border of Kosovo? ”, she said.

Commission Deputy Chairman Time Kadrijaj said the platform and the law for dialogue ensure Kosovo on February 17th with its current territory and sovereignty.

“On the platform is specifically included that the Kosovo Constitution, sovereignty, integrity will be respected. For example, the sixth principle emphasizes that Kosovo's sovereignty is non-negotiable ... Kosovo is independent and we must accept the constitution and protect Kosovo on February 17th”, Kadrijaj said.

Otherwise, at the start of the meeting some amendments by PSD deputy Dukagjii to the state delegation's task and competencies bill were sent to the Assembly administration to interpret whether they have passed or not.