Dialogue enters unclear phase, government Hoti disputes legitimacy for final agreement

Processes such as dialogue with Serbia, which have great political and historical weight should never be treated as self-intensive initiatives

European Union officials have declared that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is pre-relaunched by youth in July this year, and have also revealed to Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti during his stay in Brussels on Thursday.

Arren Loja, director of the Group for Jury and Political Studies, tells Radio Free Europe that after recent developments, it is the constitutional responsibility of the country's government and Prime Minister Hoti to ensure broad political reconciliation between all parliamentary groups, in order to unify Kosovo's negotiating position in relation to Serbia. According to her, without unity of the political spectrum within the Kosovo Assembly, it will be difficult or impossible to ratify any agreement that can be reached in dialogue.

Moreover, processes such as dialogue with Serbia, which have great political and historical weight should never be treated as selfish initiatives. On the contrary, they should promote broad political co-operation and reconciliation. Therefore, all about dialogue, whether the judicial process or the political support of the agreement, must stem, conceive and end in the Assembly. So besides the role and responsibility that the government has to go and represent in the dialogue, there is also a huge responsibility, to create the broad parliamentary majority, so that, if any eventual agreement is reached in the future, there are votes to ratify”, Loxha said.

But the situation has become even more complicated after presenting the indictment for review by the Special Prosecutor's Office, headquartered at The Hague in the Specialised Chambers, which charges Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, Democratic Party of Kosovo Chairman Kadri Veselini and others on charges of a series of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including unlawful murder, forced disappearance of persons, persecution and torture.

It's still not clear who's in the other “group, as the Prosecutor's Office named them.

Immediately after presenting this indictment, President Thaci, but Prime Minister Hoti, have cancelled attending the June 27th meeting in Washington, which would be organised at the White House between Kosovo officials and those of Serbia.

The recognition of political developments, Donika Emine, speaking of Radio Free Europe, has stressed that the annulment of this meeting by Prime Minister Hoti has not had to happen because the government has the legitimacy to lead the dialogue. But, according to her, this situation has spread questions about the legitimacy of the current government.

Now, at the moment, I don't believe this government has legitimacy and is even weaker. We have thought that, at least, if an agreement is negotiated and signed by Thaci, it would also be supported by the Democratic Party of Kosovo in the Assembly. PDK). If that doesn't happen, then I don't believe the PDK will support this agreement. Even these days we saw in the country that the PDK was as opposition as the Vetevendosje Movement. I don't believe this government has the political power to lead the dialogue, and nothing less to ratify an agreement in the Assembly”, Amy stressed.

In the absence of consensus for dialogue, elections as solution

For the ratification of international agreements, at least 81 votes of Kosovo's 120 deputies are needed, while the government of Prime Minister Hoti is formed by 61, in the framework of which are those of the Serbian List, as the ruling coalition partner.

Opposition parties, the Vetevendosje Movement, have 31 deputies, meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Kosovo has 24 deputies. Days ago, the Kosovo Assembly has failed to ratify a series of international financial agreements, as opposition parties refused to vote on them.

Recognitions of political developments estimate that Kosovo needs a government with more representative legitimacy in order to approach dialogue.

Serbian Loja sees early parliamentary elections as exiting the situation.

I think it would be ideal to go to the elections, because we know that this government has a very fragile majority. This proved true on the occasion of adopting international agreements in the Assembly, but also uncertainty about whether the 2020 budget revision could be voted. For such a question as dialogue, a much greater legitimacy is required, rather than 61 fragile and questionable votes, because it may not necessarily have this government, also considering that part of this government is the Serb List. The latter, not necessarily, can agree and may want to vote on an eventual agreement with Serbia”, Loxha said.

However, analyst Emini estimates that, in advance, Prime Minister Hoti, must hold internal meetings with the country's political elite, the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts and civil society, as you envision on his platform, to ensure an internal unity. If, according to her, elections will be inevitable, then they will at least lose Kosovo a year's time.

“Absolutely, if there is no internal political consensus, if there is no internal political dialogue and reconciliation in relation to dialogue with Serbia within the EU, then it is not worth signing the agreement. It is not worth going back to dialogue without elections and reconfirming political positions, especially those who will lead the country into dialog”, Emini praised.

Reports of political developments praised that if President Thaci eventually tenders his resignation, then the Kosovo Assembly must elect the new president. But, if parliamentary political parties fail to elect the president even after the third vote, then, according to them, the country will surely go to early parliamentary elections.