Russell reacts to Basha: Parliament not constitutionalised without Serbian deputy chairman

Kosovo's Assembly was declared constitutionalised by President Dimal Basha, though the process of electing all vice-presidents remained unfinished without the Serbian community's election of deputy leader. The closure of the constitutional hearing under these circumstances has sparked discussions on the compliance of this decision with the procedure rules and the Constitution.

In this regard, the Serbian MP in the Kosovo Assembly, Nenad Raspqi, has been declared, questioning the legitimacy of declaring the Assembly as constitutional. According to him, without a deputy speaker from the Serbian community, the Assembly cannot be considered as constitutional

“I consider that it is not fully constituted, because the normal one who lacks a deputy chairman, and I have the hope that the process will end, but unfortunately it hasn't happened, but without a deputy speaker from the Serbian community, I consider that this is not the conclusion”, he said.

Raspup said he was surprised at the way the hearings were closed on Saturday, when Prime Minister Basha declared the process as finished. He said he doesn't see this as a fair approach and hopes later to return to zero.

“I've been surprised at the conclusion of the session Saturday, where Basha was declared to declare that we are declaring the process done, I don't think this is the right way and I'm hoping that one moment we'll be back to zero, there's no point in developing that further procedure in terms of completing the contract”, he said.

Rassic says early move by Constitutional Court for Deputy Chairman is pending

Serbian MP in the Kosovo Assembly Nenad Rassic said that if no candidate from the Serb community gets enough votes, the Constitutional Court will be needed.

He said the situation without the Serbian deputy chairman is not fair.

“We need the help of the Constitutional Court, because in this respect, to remain as it is without the Serbian deputy chairman, is not the right way”, he told Front Online.

Rashiqi, says it is expected that the Constitutional Court will act these days, perhaps with an early move by the end of the week.

The Constitutional Court will probably react these days, perhaps by the end of the week with an early measure to analyze themselves to show us what to do”, he said.

Regarding his opposition failure to vote, Nenad Rassic said MPs have hesitated because conviction was created that such a vote could be unconstitutional.

He said this was their main explanation and excuse.

“Colegs, MPs have hesitated because they were installed as a belief that such a vote could be unconstitutional, and that's the explanation, the excuse of all of them, in my personal case, even though they suggested it is nothing individual”, Raspic said.

He added that there is even a greater reason, and it is that many of them are locked up within strict positions of political parties.

“think there is even one reason perhaps even more powerful than that, and that argument is that many have been equalised in the positions of political parties that have lasted several months, so that any barricade, any change of mind in party form, is considered a weakness, which I absolutely disagree with”, Rassic said.

According to him, MPs should be willing to make clear decisions without deviation or silence.

He stresses that lack of voting is not a political stance, but a lack of courage to meet the process successfully.

I consider that we as politicians, MPs in particular should have the courage to make decisions for or against, without any abstention, or failure within parliament because, for me, this reflects otherwise not as a political position, but perhaps as a lack of courage to establish a process with success of”, Rashi said.