LDK against Kurt's proposal, invited it PDK for common resolution about tax

With various versions, all parties have talked about suspending/rejecting this move. Against it was only the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, which had initiated calling the session, with half the voice of even the Social Democrat Initiative. Both subjects jointly have 20 deputies out of 120 in total in the legislature. More than with the tax, opposition deputies have dealt with the differences the VV and LDK have displayed for the removal of the fee. Even at the end of the LDK debate, bid has come up to run The PDK to harmonise a stance for immediate tax removal, unlike Prime Minister Kurti's proposal.

But, PDK officials have told Kujtim Shala that she cannot hide behind them, and that the decision is made in government, Koha Ditore writes today.

With half an hour's delay, there has been an extraordinary session after Prime Minister Albin Kurti's warning of lifting a 100 per cent tax on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

AAK MP chief Daut Haradinaj, as he has argued the initiative of this session, has said former Prime Minister Haradinaj maintained the tax despite great pressure. He asked Kurt for the same.

I now remember Prime Minister Kurti with the policy he promoted, the rotation of trucks, bloody protests to prevent the stomach from happening 860. All these actions gave support to the prime minister, but now he surrendered. It violated its principles, local producers and any ethical code it promoted against Serbia. This tax removal does not have the US competition that Serbia will recognise Kosovo”, Haradinaj has said. He has added that Kosovo is preparing a painful compromise- “partition or the creation of Zajednica”. According to Haradinaj, only tax maintenance saves Kosovo from these dangers.

Chiefs of parliamentary groups have been declared for the tax in a row.

For the first time, it has unveiled its position on the tax, even the Democratic Party, which has not been declared since its opposition exit. Initially, the head of the party's parliamentary group, Bedri Hamza, and later her leader, Kadri Wessel, has demanded that the government return their January 2019 proposal, under which the tax is suspended for 120 days to enable the deal to reach.

Wessel has called Prime Minister Kurti dangerous for the state of Kosovo, while telling him he is behaving like a customs officer. As for the tax, Wessel has added that he has no intention of changing, only because he has now passed into opposition.

This hall is an inheritance, but today it seems to me as an autonomy. Prime Minister, things have changed, must be brought as an independent and sovereign state. You can't talk like a customs officer, Prime Minister”, Vessel said. According to him, closing up the uncertainties with Serbia is Kosovo's interest.

No party supported the proposal, they forgot that the state is beyond individuals. We're just lost because of the power calculations. It was similar with demarcation. Today you are looking for the same, what changed? In the opposition, you give the country fire, in power you now appear to be responsible. The previous government has dropped because of the tax, and this too may fall”, Wessel has suggested.

He has also called the LDK's behaviour hypocrisy, as he has asked them to show their position on the tax. LDK MP leader Arben Gashi, who had completed the word earlier, has reminded Wessel that their promise during the campaign has been to lift the tax and impose reciprocity. Gashi has reiterated that their position on the tax is the same as that of the United States. So, lifting an outright tax. Emisari for dialogue, Richard Green, has been declared against the partial removal of the tax under Kurt's proposal last week.

“Even though the tariff had another objective, it became an obstacle to dialogue, while during the period Kosovo diplomacy has failed to justify tax maintenance. With the aim of completing the dialogue, the LDK intends to coordinate operations with the US. With the fee removed, if Serbia does not change, to impose reciprocity measures”, Gashi has stressed.

Meanwhile, Vetevendosje Movement Parliamentary Group Chairman Rexhep Selimi has rejected the AAK's claims that the tax halted the Kosovo division project. But it was Kurt who said the only benefit of the tax was Kosovo's salvation in the division.

With all its purpose, the tariff did not stop Serbia either against the attacks on Kosovo. Serbia is still continuing its campaign to recognise Kosovo. The citizens of the country expect us to act, which is what the Kurti Government is doing, but your voters also expect you to be more reasonable and more constructive”, Selimi said.

After hearing party statements, Prime Minister Kurti has spoken. According to him, the tax has placed Kosovo in a defansive position, as it has had to reason before internationals on keeping it. He has said there are much wiser versions to achieve goals in relation to Serbia.

“The tariff application was used as an excuse to stop dialogue, and Kosovo became subject to international pressure. So far, dialogue with Serbia has basically been for Kosovo's status. With reciprocity established, it becomes the solution to obstacles one by one. Be sovereign when we discuss it. Any removal of barriers means recognition of sovereignty from Serbia and thus, until effective recognition. I'm not for access or anything, and I'm against access either now or never. That's weakness. I am to problem the obstacles that Serbia does, not to deal with rationalities for protecting tax”, Kurti has declared.

He has had a replica with the starter of the session, Daut Haradinaj. He has asked him what reciprocal measures he is talking about and how he will deal with the fact that Serbia has Kosovo within its constitution. He has also asked how he will save Kosovo from partition.

In the sense of political and economic sovereignty, in our country the tax effect is minimal. I'm more vocal against exchange of territories. The current president has no authorization to sign the agreement. There is no implementation power in any agreement. That's not gonna happen. I know there's been a plan to get the fee done in Kosovo, and the next day not to start dialogue, but to end”, Kurti said.

He, last Thursday, has introduced the 7-point tax removal plan until setting reciprocity measures at a later stage. At the first point, it is said that the decision, which will be made next week to lift the fee for raw materials, is a sign of Kosovo's goodwill and readiness for the start of the actual resolution of economic, trade and political disputes with Serbia. If the Serbian side proves true devotion in stopping the non-friendly campaign and vows to quickly remove non-tariff barriers with Kosovo, then starting April 1st 2020, the Kosovo government will completely lift the fee for imports from Serbia and BiH for a period of 90 days. The third point concerns a request to the European Union. Kurti has said the EU should assess the Kosovo side's decision to lift the 100% fee high, offering visa liberalisation before the Zagreb Summit on May 7th 2020.

If Serbia does not respect the good will of the Government of Kosovo for the elimination of economic, trade and political barriers in bilateral reports and therefore does not cease its non-friendly campaign on the international level and does not begin with removing barriers in relations with Kosovo, according to 3rd, Kosovo's government will begin gradual implementation of the reciprocity principle, once in the field of trade and then in economic and political relations.

If the Serbian side does not reflect even after a 90-day period from the initial decision to lift the fee for import of raw materials, then the Government of Kosovo, beginning June 15th, will return the fee for imports from Serbia as the implementation launched on April 1st of reciprocity continues

Meanwhile, full trade, economic and political reciprocity, according to Kurti's proposal, is installed after June 15th.

Social Democrat Initiative Chairman Fatmir Limaj has convicted Kurti of inability to impose these measures. He has criticised the prime minister for not wanting, is behaving like an opposition and is running out of responsibilities in the dialogue.

A prime minister cannot hide behind the directors. It was a negotiation deal you said we didn't know what they went through. Your dialogue is central, don't run away. Start dealing with the main theme, leave these actings, these won't help”, Limaj said.

The debate has slipped on bilateral charges between the deputies of the Vetevendosje and opposition Movement. The VV's Dimal Basha has crashed into the AAK's Demalyan Square. Basha has invited her to stop putting on audio wires, as no one believes them anymore because of the abuses they have done with state funds while in government. Demaliya has not dealt with Basha, but she has called Albin Kurti suspicious. As an argument, he has used the fact that Kurt lives by rent in Kosovo.

“Who is this man who holds one leg in Kosovo, and the other elsewhere?”, Demalij said.

AAK deputies in the second half of the session have also placed banners on the cabinet seats with inscriptions- “Serbia does not pass” and “Where is the apology, where are the found?”

Pro abolishing the tax has been positioned by AKR MP, who is part of the coalition with Social Democrat Initiative, Mirlinda Sopi-Krasnqi.

Prime Minister Kurti from MP Bekim Haxhiu's PDK has been criticised for coming against America to hear Joseph Borrell and Miroslav Lajcak, who, Haxhiu has said, do not recognise the state of Kosovo. Borrell is the chief of European diplomacy, while Slovak Lajcak is mentioned as a special representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. Kurti has called the wrong approach for Kosovo to be good with Washington and hostile to Brussels. According to him, despite differences both the EU and the United States have an essential role in reports with Kosovo.

Shala invited him PDK for a common resolution

All at the end of the debate, the most direct one has been the deputy head of the Assembly from the LDK ranks, Kujtim Shala, who has said there should be no partial removal, as Prime Minister Kurti proposed, but “tax must be completely and immediately”. All at the end of the debate, he has invited all other parties to come up with a draft resolution on tax removal.

There should be an attitude from all subjects, exclude AAK colleagues and adopt a resolution to suggest the Government what to do. If not, we're in order”, Shala has said, who has requested PDK assistance to submit the request that the tax be removed. Krasniqi i The PDK has told them to take the stance they have given in January 2019, but not to seek common documents.

“You don't need to hide behind us here. Go make your decision on Government”, Krasniqi told Shala.

The initiative of the session has intervened, Daut Haradinaj.

“Sė po mundej teaj terrovas kama sympasia LDK for PDK. I'm even enjoying a few moves, David said. He has added that they are planning to issue a document for the vote, but due to lack of support, they will not propose it. Thus, the debate ended without any approved documents.