Parliament set to vote on amendments to the Specialist Chambers—here’s what is expected to happen

Kosovo’s Assembly is expected to review amendments and additions to the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office on October 5, 2026. The extraordinary plenary session was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m., with this issue listed as the first item on the agenda.

However, the session had not yet begun even though the scheduled start time had passed.

Before the plenary session, at 8:00 a.m., the Committee on Legislation met to review the bill. The meeting had been confirmed by the committee’s chair, Vigan Qorrolli.

The committee approved the bill amending the Law on the Specialist Chambers. Nine members of parliament took part in the vote, all of whom voted in favor, with no votes against and no abstentions. Following this decision, the bill was cleared to be considered by the Assembly.

The agenda for the extraordinary session contains a total of 22 items. In addition to the amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers, lawmakers will review financial agreements, elections to boards and institutions, as well as bills related to justice, energy, innovation and the budget.

Among the other issues is the ratification of the Loan Agreement between the Republic of Kosovo and the French Development Agency for the XXI Mediterranean Games Project in Kosovo.

The amendments to the financial agreements between Kosovo and the European Union for the IPA 2021 and IPA 2022 programs are also expected to be reviewed, as is the Financial Agreement for the IPA Multiannual Program 2026-2027.

The agenda also includes the election of two members of the board of the Energy Regulatory Office, the election of the chair of this board, the election of the Auditor General of the Republic of Kosovo, and the selection of two non-executive members of the board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo.

Lawmakers will consider the bill on the State Bureau for Verification and Confiscation of Unjustified Assets, amendments to the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism, as well as the bill on the recruitment, performance evaluation, integrity checks and status of judges and prosecutors.

The agenda also includes amendments and additions to the laws on the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the Kosovo Judicial Council, the bill on the disciplinary responsibility of judges and prosecutors, and the bill on the Academy of Justice.

The bills on Energy, Electricity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, late payments in commercial transactions, amendments to the Law on Budget Allocations for the Budget of the Republic of Kosovo for 2026, and the bill on the Management of Water Resources will also be reviewed.

The initiative to amend the Law on the Specialist Chambers was submitted by the Democratic Party of Kosovo on September 21, five days after the Specialist Chambers in The Hague issued their verdict against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

On September 16, Hashim Thaçi and Jakup Krasniqi were sentenced to 25 years in prison each, Kadri Veseli to 18 years and Rexhep Selimi to 13 years for war crimes. All four were found not guilty of crimes against humanity, while the defense has announced that it will appeal the sentencing portion of the verdict.

The bill proposed by the PDK addresses several aspects of the functioning and jurisdiction of the Specialist Chambers. One of the proposed changes would allow cases deemed to fall outside the jurisdiction of the Chambers to be prosecuted in Kosovo.

The initiative also includes the possibility of appealing to Kosovo’s Supreme Court, setting the maximum prison sentence at 15 years, and serving sentences in Kosovo.

Another proposal would give people convicted by the Specialist Chambers the possibility of being eligible for a presidential pardon.

The review of this bill is taking place one day before the deadline for electing Kosovo’s president. Based on a decision by the Constitutional Court, the 60-day deadline began on August 8 and ends on October 6.

If the president is not elected within this deadline, the Assembly will be dissolved and the country will hold new parliamentary elections.

The PDK has linked its readiness to help elect the president to the final approval of the amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers. Its chair, Bedri Hamza, has said that the party, which has 22 lawmakers, is ready to discuss the matter and provide votes for the president after the Assembly completes the procedure for approving the law.

Over the weekend, Prime Minister Albin Kurti held separate meetings with Bedri Hamza and the chair of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lumir Abdixhiku, in an effort to find a solution before the constitutional deadline expires.

The election of the president requires 80 votes in the first two rounds. If no candidate secures this majority, 61 votes are required in the third round, but at least 80 lawmakers must be present for the process to take place.

Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje Movement has 53 lawmakers. His government was elected with 62 votes after receiving support from eight lawmakers representing non-Serb communities and the Serb lawmaker Nenad Rashiq.

The participation of the PDK’s 22 lawmakers would ensure the number of lawmakers needed for the presidential election process to take place.

Approval of the bill in its first reading would not mean the end of the parliamentary procedure. After the vote in principle, the text must be returned to the responsible committee for article-by-article review and consideration of amendments.

The bill would then return to the Assembly for a second reading and final vote.

The Assembly’s Rules of Procedure allow the usual procedural deadlines to be waived in certain cases. This can be done if the proposal is submitted by at least six lawmakers and supported by two-thirds of the lawmakers present, provided that the waiver does not contradict the Constitution.