Ministry of Justice Warns Re-Sending Civil Billod to Parliament

The Ministry of Justice in Kosovo has warned that it will re-Send the Civil Project to the Assembly.

In a response to Radio Free Europe, this minister said he is awaiting the decision of the Convention on Disapproval of the Code during the 16 March session.

The Kosovo Assembly failed to adopt Civil Billodin in its first reading after several ruling and opposition deputies opposed the article, which would pave the way for drafting a special law to allow the “civil co-operation” among persons of the same gender.

The ministry gave no more details about whether it will change Proyketkodin or reprocedure the same.

Secretary General in the Kosovo Parliament Ismet Krasniqi said in a statement that the current Kosovo Assembly regulation does not prevent the same text from proceeding, as well as there are no restrictions on the timetable for prosecution.

Kemal Marmulaki, senior researcher at the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD), says the Ministry of Justice, to re-sign the draft review law even in the Assembly, has two available opportunities, but both imply that the bill must be adopted.

“Review the bill, make necessary changes and re-procedure for approval; as well as clarify points or provisions that are contestive by MPs, make necessary political pressure (unconstitutionally) to get the support of MPs for the provisions that have been countered to them, and continue for approval”, Marmulakaj told Radio Free Europe.

For this project, 28 MPs voted, against there were 29, 4 have abstained, while 16 of them did not participate in the vote.

Some MPs, in their speeches during the session held on March 16th in the Kosovo Assembly, while discussing the Civil Billodin, considered allowing “civil co-ordination” unacceptable.

MP Labinote Demi-Murtezi of the Vetevendosje Movement said that “the standard of social morality in our country dictates as acceptable only to the marriage of the opposite genders, any relationship outside this combination is considered degeneration and moral degeneration”.

Last month, leaders of four religious communities in Kosovo, the Islamic Community, the Catholic Church, the Protestant Evangelist Church, and the Hebrew Community have called on no changes in definition and interpretation of the family, marriage, and the status of marriage.

While on Thursday, some citizens and members of the LGBTI community have protested before the Kosovo Assembly in disappointment with the failure of the Civil Bill. Protesters also condemned the language used by MPs during the Assembly hearing.