Opposition with criticism of KKP Bill, to be sent to Constitution

During the review of key commission reports on this bill, opposition MPs stressed that the independence of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council is being violated.

The Commission for Legislation has approved reports of key commissions on the Bill for the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council.

Democratic League of Kosovo MP Driton Selmanaj has warned that this bill will be forwarded to the Constitutional Court, since he stressed that Venice Commission recommendations have not been taken into account.

It is unacceptable that letters coming to us from important international factors in Kosovo, which then reflects on the Progress Report that they choose for Kosovo not to share with us, but to keep for yourself. I think it's a mistake, and it's your job to share with us, while I'm saying that you better stop this process even now, despite having approved you as a commission, stop it and bring it back to the government so that other proposals can come in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission but also with the idea that reform in the justice system is really reform and that it doesn't break down the system. I'm normally going to vote against it and I'm telling you that this case will unfortunately end up again in the Constitutional Court because we are determined to protect constitutionality in the Parliament”, he has declared.

Selmani has added that the lack of consideration of recommendations has political implications for the country.

The chairman of the Commission for Legislation, Adnan Rrustemi, has reacted to this, who said that recommendations by the Venice Commission have been addressed in the processing group.

The “Lerra which was sent by the EU Office has been in the phase of reviewing the bill in the processing group. And I've treated it as a letter to the leader of the working group and had access to anyone involved in this process. There hasn't been a letter at the panel review stage after the processing group closed. He was in the treatment phase of the working group. Even the comments of the EU Office have been about the specific provisions we have met and we have stopped addressing them. I share the conviction that have been addressed in perhaps different forms, in certain situations... I am convinced that the bill addresses the recommendations of the Venice Commission, takes on the basis of the Constitutional Court's act. There is no reason, no anti-unconstitutional element”, he said.

Even Democratic Party of Kosovo deputy Hajdar Beqa said this bill does not pass the filter of the Constitutional Court, since it considered dozens of violations.

This majority has seen that there have been numbers to reform in justice as if it had the will, but from the start it has played ping-pong. And he got into those numbers about how he chooses my chief prosecutor. After really fighting corruption, he had not given Kosovo four years without the prosecutor, four years we have no chief prosecutor and we are talking about fighting corruption in Kosovo. The chief prosecutor does not choose why he does not like x or y, all this law is becoming how the chief prosecutor was elected, not for reform. Here is the subject for my opinion”, Beqa said.

And Alliance for the Future of Kosovo MP Besnik Tahiri said that with the current composition of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, institutional independence is being violated.

“With an analytical and critical reading of the Constitutional Court's decision, the main concern has been the body which leads this institution, which is the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council. Even when we talk to this body, I agree with Adnan who says the numbers have never been intended, because it is true, the goal has been decision-making, political influence in decision-making through members not prosecutors. I told you then too, come on. Don't raise him to 19 that we're sick. 19 people are not in the European Championship either, 11 are in reserve. 19 prosecutors what they do... The main problem for me is compounding, I think with this composition of the KKP it's been affecting institutional independence, the independence it delegates with competence and mandate, and above all, it's opening the door to this institution with direct political influence”, Tahiri said.

Members of the Commission for Legislation have also adopted the report on the draft property rights of foreign citizens in the Republic of Kosovo. / KP