Removal passes for political resentment, citizens remain without economic support

Political initiatives are continuing to leave citizens and businesses without economic support, and are enabling them to benefit from the withdrawal of 10 percent of pension savings. While organisations dealing with overseeing the work of Kosovo's Parliament estimate that a bill intended to address the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic would have to find broad political consensus.

Vetevendosje Movement MP Eman Canman says this bill proposed by the ruling coalition has nothing to do with economic recovery.

Even the best economic recovery, according to him, is for the country to go to new elections.

And we've told him that this law has nothing to do with economic recovery and that this government has to go away and that economic recovery is when this government goes away and we have new elections, the government that works and engages in citizen interest. [...] Seeing that this law has nothing to do with economic recovery, just as they have no other action that we're seeing what steps this government is taking, it doesn't make sense to vote on something that's against citizens”, he says.

While Democratic Party of Kosovo deputy Sejdiu Hoxha says they cannot support this bill because their demands are not included.

He says the PDK as an opposition party has delivered its economic package to the Parliament and has asked the ruling coalition to co-operate in the interest of citizens, but that the request has been ignored.

Hoxha says that for the possibility of withdrawing 10 per cent from the Trust they are willing to vote on the completion of the Law for the Pension Savings Fund, through which citizens would be allowed to attract means.

It's a disaster that's being manipulated on behalf of the 10 percent that's put in the package, and if it does, we're voting on it through the change of the Law, but not manipulated in the name of it, even with an economic package that does not guarantee the strong support of Kosovo businesses and citizens. [...] How can we vote when none of our points are included in the fiscal economic package, if it requires co-operation with the opposition then you should listen to the opposition in its version of how it thinks economic development. We've asked for partnership over six months to build a package of economic recovery, but unfortunately we've been ignored by the government. Nor do the votes have to pass the Law on Economic Recovery, nor do they co-operate with the opposition”, he told Kosovas.

With the reasoning that the Economic Recovery Bill is to the best of the country's citizens, LDK deputy Faton Bislimi also invites opposition parties to vote.

He says that this bill should be passed because it is the immune needs of the people and the economic sector in the country.

The law on economic recovery is actually the law made for the citizens of Kosovo, the law for private business in Kosovo, the law being made for the good of our state. It has nothing to do with the LDK, end or the ruling coalition, it has to do with civic interest, and normally, as long as the opposition has a source interest in citizens, we also welcome the amendment they can make this law. The law has to be passed because it's the assistant needs of this people, it's the immune need of this country to feel the hand of the state, and that the pandemic, despite the great health challenge that it has created, the health crisis that it has created, at least does not even lead us to an economic abyss of”, he says.

The aim of a bill aimed at addressing the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic would have to find broad political consensus, according to Eugen Cakoli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute.

However, he says the main responsibility for failing to adopt this bill falls on position, respectively, the LDK as the largest parliamentary subject under the current ruling coalition.

In principle, all bills aimed at addressing the consequences, whether health or economic, of pandemic, would have to find a broader political consensus, namely beyond the current parliamentary majority. However, it is unacceptable for this bill to drag on and fail to be voted for the ninth time in a row, including seven previous (read first) times when this bill had failed to secure the necessary votes. However, I consider that the main responsibility for failing to adopt this bill falls on position, respectively, the LDK as the largest parliamentary subject under the current ruling coalition. In cases where they (government coalition) have known they cannot pass without opposition votes this bill, the same have not taken into account opposition recommendations that have been outlined even in the form of amendments during reading of this bill on parliamentary commissions”, he says.

Last Wednesday was intended to hold the extraordinary session for the adoption of the Second Reader Economic Recovery Bill, but only 31 MPs were in the hall, thus failing for the second time to vote. The same bill had managed to be voted into first reading only in the seventh time.