Kamber for his arrest calls: Milosevic Methods Used

Kamberi's arrest, due to his statement that Kosovo is an independent state, was demanded during a parliamentary session by the Socialist Party of Serbia deputy, vice president of the Parliament, Snezana Paunovic.

I expected everyone to oppose my stance, but I did not expect anyone to dare ask, in the presence of the president of the Republic, in the Assembly, not only the imprisonment of an MP, but the worst of all my expulsion from Serbia”, Kamber said in an interview for Radio Free Europe's Balkan Service.

During the Parliament's two-day session, which was held last week, Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, presented the report on dialogue with Kosovo and answered MPs' questions.

Kamberi, one of the few deputies who openly recognises Kosovo's independence, represents the Albanian community in Serbia's Parliament.

After Kamberi declared at the plenary session that Kosovo is an independent state and that authorities in Serbia should co-operate with Kosovo authorities Snezana Panovovic, Socialist Party MP, former Serbian Freedom party Slobodan Milosevic, said Kamberi has violated the vow made before the Parliament and the Constitution of Serbia, where Kosovo is said to be part of Serbia.

“What is not allowed to be said in Serbia's Parliament is this”, Paunovic said, adding that there is basis for the arrest of Kamberi.

According to Serbian regulations, MPs enjoy immunity and cannot be prosecuted for expressions of thought or vote expressed literally or in writing.

Shaip Kamberi told REL that all of this happened in the presence of Serbia's president, who did not react, and the chairman of the Parliament, who, as Kamber said, is imposed on the Labour and Law Order of the Parliament, to ask MPs not to use such methods of intimidation.

In this kind of political environment, it is normal to expect someone to say he disagrees with you or has different political opinions. But, as was the case in the Assembly, a country where, at least formally, an MP is allowed to freely express his opinion, as the Law on the Assembly states, I certainly did not expect to go so far from”, Kamber said.

So, this case shows that masks have been removed and that those wearing a democratic suit are showing they have not changed and that they are trying to use Milosevic's methods, especially when it comes to Albanians. In my opinion, this is bad for democracy, bad for the country that the primary goal of foreign policy has towards the European Union -- that is, membership in the bloc”, he added.

Kamberi said the statements by the Serbian Parliament's deputy speaker have been viewed as <x0-language hatred”, but added that knowing which party it belongs to, they have been expected.

“This could be expected from the Socialist Party, the party that has the greatest responsibility for all crimes that occurred in the Balkans and everything that happened in Kosovo. But say something like that in the presence of the president of the Republic, I really didn't expect”, he stressed.

According to Kamberi, the policy base that requires Kosovo to return to Serbia is the goal Milosevic had, “that Kosovo be under Serbia, but without Albanians”.

MP Kamberi said it is now time for Kosovo and Serbia to discuss and reach an agreement in line with the real situation.

I requested that President Vuciq assume the responsibility of a statesman, achieve peace with Albanians and work for prosperity in the Western Balkans”, Kamberi said.

He said if his statements in the Assembly are considered hostile to the state of Serbia, then, according to him, the question is, what is the purpose that he is part of the Serbian Parliament, the institution where the expression of free thought is banned.

Even in the past, Kamberi has declared that Kosovo is an independent state and has demanded that the parties reach an agreement, and he again stressed that he would not back down from those positions.

Kosovo and Serbia have been conducting dialogue on normalising reports with the European Union's mediation since 2011.

Both sides differ on the outcome of this process. Kosovo wants dialogue to end with an agreement with mutual recognition, meanwhile, Serbia seeks a compromise solution. However, officials in Belgrade have not indicated what compromise it is about.