Economic recovery and dialogue, key topic at the annual Assembly session

Kosovo Assembly deputies after three weeks off, are expected tomorrow to undertake jobs for which they have taken the trust of citizens. The autumn session parliamentarians will find with topics remaining in half. The approval of the package for economic recovery is seen as a priority for MPs, but along with nongovernmental organisations monitoring the work of the people's elected, say dialogue with Serbia and possible adoption of any final agreement will be a challenge for MPs. And the adoption of the 2021 budget bill is also seen within this year.

Kosovo Institute for Justice Executive Director Ehat Miftaraj says the government is not having political support to advance the government's agenda.

This says it will reflect on citizens, as there may be consequences in important processes for their lives.

This legislature, or current government, appears to have no political support translated into votes to submit the legislative agenda, whether the government's political agenda. When a government does not guarantee the votes needed to vote on important laws or policies, of course, that this is reflected in citizens and governance in general... Kosovo with this fragile government that currently has, with a government that does not have enough numbers even for simple laws, then surely the end of the year could have consequences for other important processes. Not to be overlooked is the fact that Kosovo has no convenience not to adopt the budget bill within this calendar year”, he says.

Allen Meta from the Democracy Institute for Development (D4D) says that the possibility of voting a comprehensive agreement with Serbia and voting on the economic recovery package will be priorities of the Parliament's autumn session.

Because at the spring session, not many of the government's agenda have been realized, we believe that even at this year's session this will be very difficult. There are also two important topics that should be a priority, which is the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and economic recovery, which should have a particular focus ... We see a new dynamic for dialogue, we believe that a possible comprehensive agreement this year should come during this session. And the package of economic recovery would also be one of the main themes to receive this session during 2020”, it was extended.

IKD Director Miftaraj says the Assembly, apart from legislative agenda, is stuck in the appointment of board and communicator positions that are their partnership.

Kosovo's “Assembly has remained unmet and met a host of demands of citizens and obligations that it has with constitution and law. Besides the fact that with legislative agenda it's extremely behind the Parliament there are other obligations, such as naming different positions whether commissions or boards that are the competence of the Assembly. As long as the legislative agenda for 2020 is one of the legislatures that has fulfilled at least the legislative agenda. Here where I'm talking about the Parliament, I'm saying it's also the fault of the actual government that has not been able to fulfill its obligations and submit laws to the Kuka”, Miftaraj says.

Even though the economic recovery package did not pass, MPs saw it right to enter the holiday at the end of August, in spite of the UN independence, and the needs of citizens for additional financial incentives.