Political consensus required for Association

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti must be co-ordinated with opposition parties before establishing the Association of Serb majority municipalities, on the basis of the draft state modernised by Euro-American Emisars, political analysts say. According to them, it is necessary to reach a political and social consensus in Kosovo for the principles of establishing this institutional body within the country's constitutional system.

Political analyst Artan Muhhaxhiri tells Kosovo Pres that Prime Minister Kurti is obliged to co-ordinate with opposition parties before taking concrete steps to establish association.

In addition, he finds it necessary to discuss with prominent local and international civil society and jurists for the Association statute, despite the latest filter for its constitutionality to meet the Constitutional Court.

“Association is a vital milestone for the state of Kosovo because it will empower the dialogue process report, but on the other hand it will also offer guarantees for Kosovo Serbs after a kind of recognition that will come on Serbia's part with the conclusion of the dialogue process. Therefore, it will be part of Kosovo's new state structure, so that's why Prime Minister Kurti has the obligation to co-ordinate with the opposition and civil society, and different experts to harmonise his positions. Without an overall social and public discourseal currency in Kosovo, I don't think it can make the final decision on Association”, Muhramiri points out.

Arber Fetah of the Group for Jury and Political Studies also emphasizes the need for political consensus.

He says of Kosovo Preress, that principles for association should be clearly defined by the entire political spectrum in Kosovo.

If anything has taught us Kosovo- Serbia is that these 12 years since the consensus started has been the weakest point of dialogue, since there has been no great consensus in almost all phases... at this critical point of Kosovo dialogue- Serbia is an ideal and rational option to try to create a minimum consensus on this issue. This minimal consensus would be to agree on which line the stagnation of Association should be drafted and how to get to implementation. The controversy may have in certain respects, but a consensus on Kosovo's principles and positions on this subject is needed, and until the limit on this topic will be. This should be well defined by the entire political spectrum in Kosovo, as dialogue is not only a matter of this government”, Fetah says.

On October 21st, Euro-Americans presented a new plan for implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid Agreement, where, among other things, a draft of the implementation of Article 7 of the agreement -- referring to the self-awareness of Serbs in Kosovo -- subsequently the founding of the Association, which Prime Minister Kurti said is ready to sign, along with the basic agreement and annex, but was told that Serbian President Aleksandar Vuq refused.

During this week in Kosovo remained the EU's special minister for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, where he agreed to have a meeting in Brussels on 16 November at the level of top negotiators.

Lajcak also met with opposition leaders, who said they were only announced in general terms for the draft association state and that they have not read it as a whole, where, according to them, the European emissary has said the same is in line with the country's Constitution.

Greater support for Prime Minister Albin Kurti for establishing association on the basis of the modernised European proposal has given AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj.