Location in “sleep”, two weeks no parliamentary session

Two weeks have passed and the Kosovo Assembly has held no session. Although many bills are expected to be adopted, the people's representatives have not gathered for discussion.

The entire parliamentary spring session has been characterised with interruptions and postponements of sessions in the absence of quorum. This has resulted in increased criticism of the Parliament, being described as a dysfunctional institution.
The opposition and the Parliament's working monitors for this non-efficy of the highest legislative body are leading him from the ruling party, which has the majority in the Assembly.

Through an analysis, KDI has estimated that lack of quorum in the Assembly sessions has become a serious problem.

“During this year's spring session alone, three sessions have been interrupted due to lack of quorum, while there has been no quorum for voting in seven sessions. From the practice of breaking sessions, the Parliament has gone a step now for two weeks, not organising any sessions due to lack of quorum”, said in the KDI analysis, adding that parliamentary commissions have faced similar problems.

“Lacking quorum has also faced parliamentary commissions. Only during the spring session have five commission meetings failed as a result of lack of quorum. MPs who have been missing have been from position and opposition, while as reasons MPs' trips have been given, but often the reasons have not been known”, rated KDI.

Most Incapable

Opposition representatives for lack of hearings have blamed the ruling party. They have said that no call of hearings and lack of quorum points to Albin Kurti's party's inability.

PDK MP Blerta Deliu-Codra has told the Nacional newspaper there are two reasons the Assembly has been defunct.

“There are two main reasons why the Republic Assembly is defunct. Most importantly, it is because the prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo is marginalising and constantly relating the Republic Assembly. Same as the opposition portrayed the Parliament as the highest and most important body on behalf of the parliamentary republic”, she said.

She has said that the inability of this majority has also been listed by Parliament Speaker Glauk Konjufca.

“Even Prime Minister Kurti is marginalising mostly the parliamentary republic on the issue of his negotiations with Serbia. The second reason is the inability of the parliamentary majority, as evidenced by that parliamentary majority alone”, she said.

Punishment sought for MPs

KDI's analysis of the Parliament's work has estimated that the lack of MPs is taking place even because of impunity.

According to the analysis, the sentences handed down for MPs are very soft.

“The MP's rights and responsibilities law, as well as the regulation of the Assembly, envisions that an MP loses his mandate only if six months in the Assembly hearings are missing. The same law stipulates a halt to compensation for MPs who do not participate in hearings or commissions for unreasonable reasons. It says that “Deputet is obliged to attend the plenary hearings and meetings of the Parliament's auxiliary organs, in which he is a member, and if he for some reason cannot attend, he should now announce the Speaker of the Parliament and present the reasons for the absences.”, said in KDI.

KDI has asked the constitution's bodies to regularly apply penalties to irresponsible MPs.

“The student turnout rate is 200 Euros. The Speaker and Headship of the Parliament must regularly apply punishments under the power legislation for MPs who do not participate in the work of the Parliament”, rated KDI.

On Friday, it has been suggested that the Parliament's Headship will convene on Monday, where it will be decided to hold the next session of the Kosovo Assembly.