During the session of the Assembly of Kosovo, the head of the PDK Parliamentary Group, Arian Tahiri, called for speeding up the procedure for reviewing the draft law amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.

According to his request, the motion to bypass procedures had to be put to a vote by 16:30. The functional committee would then consider the draft law by 17:00, while the session for its vote would be held at 17:30.

“On behalf of the PDK Parliamentary Group, we request that the motion to bypass the procedure be voted on today, by 16:30. The functional committee must bring the draft law amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office by 17:00, while the vote should take place at 17:30,” Tahiri said.

He asked all parliamentary groups to support the initiative, noting that such a motion had also received support in the first reading of the draft law.

“I invite all parliamentary groups to support this motion, just as we did during the first reading,” said the head of the PDK group.

Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu opposed this request. She said that at this moment attention should be devoted to electing the president and called on the parties to agree on the next steps.

“We understand the importance of this issue, but the agreement was for this to be done after Kurti’s meeting with Hamza, in the presence of the heads of the parliamentary groups. I do not understand how, just a few hours later, you come with this request,” Haxhiu said.

She stressed that electing the president of Kosovo should be the main priority and warned that failure of this process could lead the country to elections.

“It is very important to elect the president. Meet, find an agreement, and then come to the session. There is no issue more important than electing the president. We cannot lead the country into elections,” said the Assembly Speaker.

Haxhiu also called on political leaders to meet and reach an agreement, while criticizing the political use of the Kosovo Liberation Army issue.

“It is not right to play with the feelings of the protesters outside. The KLA cannot be defended only by the PDK, because it belongs to everyone. You cannot treat the KLA as the property of one party,” Haxhiu said.

AAK MP Besnik Tahiri also joined the debate, saying that developments are being followed with concern both inside and outside the Assembly.

“We are following the situation with concern, both inside and outside the Assembly. What we have heard is that there is a commitment for this draft law to be approved in two readings,” Besnik Tahiri said.

Then Arian Tahiri took the floor again, but his intervention was cut off midway.

He argued that the PDK’s request was related to the sensitivity of the situation and to the presence of protesters outside the Assembly building.

“Madam Speaker, the sensitivity of this issue and the presence of protesters are important. Today the Assembly is surrounded by citizens protesting over this issue. We request that the motion be reviewed urgently and that it take full effect equally urgently. The KLA stands above any political party,” Tahiri said.

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Sipas tyre, Kuvendi po pengon nismën ligjore të opozitës.

Kryetari i komisionit, Ulsi Manja, i mohoi këto akuza, duke deklaruar se propozimet e PD-së janë diskutuar në mbledhjet e mëparshme.

Oerd Bylybashi, deputet i PD-së: “Na informuat se shkresa për konsultimin ishte dërguar, por Durrësi nuk e ka marrë. Sot është planifikuar mbledhja e Këshillit Bashkiak dhe dokumenti nuk ka mbërritur. Me sa duket, e njëjta situatë është edhe në bashki të tjera. Kjo është një formë sabotimi. Kuvendi po e pengon qëllimisht nismën ligjore të opozitës, në mënyrë që ajo të mos konsultohet dhe të mos mblidhen qëndrimet përkatëse”.

Saimir Korreshi, deputet i PD-së: “Sot ka njerëz në rrugë për këtë çështje, përfshirë kryetarë bashkish të majtë, të tredhur. Gjatë gjithë kësaj kohe, presioni ka qenë 10 për të mos mbështetur këtë nismë ligjore. Në të gjithë botën, edhe bashkitë apo komunat me 1000-2000 banorë mund të shkrihen si gjalp. Bashkitë që synohet të shkrihen do të mbeten si kafaze pëllumbash. Nuk mund të vini në parlament me arrogancën se keni 83 deputetë, pasi të gjithë këshillat bashkiakë kanë votuar kundër nismës suaj ligjore. Ju flisni për 15 raporte bashkish që do t’i modifikoni, por ato nuk janë plastelinë. Prandaj prisni nismën tonë ligjore. Kjo nuk është reformë, por një nismë e njëanshme. Nëse vërtet doni të bëni diçka, të ulemi dhe të dëgjojmë njerëzit”.

Ulsi Manja, kryetar i Komisionit: “Propozimet tuaja i kemi shqyrtuar në dy mbledhje të njëpasnjëshme. Përse nuk kërkoni fjalën për të diskutuar në parim? Mund të shprehni qëndrimet tuaja politike si të dëshironi. Kjo çështje nuk futet në rend dite, pasi e kemi trajtuar më parë”.

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The review of the administrative-territorial reform was accompanied by heated exchanges in the Law Commission, where the opposition challenged the way the draft was being handled and the pace of the process.

MPs Saimir Korreshi and Gent Strazimiri called for the positions of the municipalities and the opposition’s initiative to be taken into consideration before the procedure continued.

Korreshi accused the commission chair of giving priority to the majority’s initiative, while also mocking the way documents received from local government had been handled.

He called for all materials submitted to Parliament to be reviewed by the commission before a final decision was made.

“Albania has endless problems. These municipalities have a problem: they addressed Parliament, not Mazniku. They addressed the Parliament of the Republic of Albania. Has it been twinned with Niko? Look how the law came in: you had the oven hot, you rushed it through on August 31, immediately. It did not wait at all to come here; it went in and came straight back out. What about the previous documents? These people dealing with territorial reform know nothing, and we in the Law Commission are also asleep. We have not come here to talk about fish. The ones that died in Lushnje. When they send these initiatives to Parliament, at least let us receive them. All the mayors lined up one after another, while the gentleman says it is nine or ten others. They brought it on the 31st; did you put the pilaf into motion here, or was it soup? When you tell us to wait two weeks, ours has to sleep after sleeping. Apparently there was no sleep here, in the Divjakë municipality; the casserole was in the oven. You are the chef who cooks better. Why was ours not done within a day as well? Or did you have other work, Niko?” Korreshi said.

The chair of the Law Commission, Ulsi Manja, replied that the opposition’s initiative had also been sent to the municipalities for consultation, arguing that the procedure followed by Parliament had been the same.

“You are asking me why it was not done for your initiative. The Secretary-General of the Parliament of Albania informed me that your initiative was sent to all the municipalities in the same way as ours. Through the same procedure, as you requested. You submitted a bill and asked Parliament to send it to all the municipalities.

The MP Gent Strazimiri also joined the debate, accusing Manja of continuing the procedure without waiting for the local government’s positions to be fully reviewed. Strazimiri called for the two initiatives to be examined together and claimed that the action being taken was contrary to the Constitution and the law,” Manja stated.

Meanwhile, Strazimiri said: “The Constitution has silenced you; it has tied your hands and feet with its articles. You should have closed this meeting the first time I told you to. The municipal councils have stated in writing that they do not want it. You are lying too. We must listen to Mazniku.”

“Do not listen to him; we are listening to him,” Manja added. Meanwhile, Strazimiri continued: “You must wait for our initiatives to arrive as well, so that they can be brought together. You say that this will be over on the 8th. You are violating the Constitution and the law. What we are saying are arguments to help you understand that you are living in a time when this star no longer runs the state, but those two books you have there do. You are there to implement those books you have there, not to do as you please. There were 15 municipalities interested; now there are 16, including Krujë.”

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Following the conviction of former KLA leaders, the Organization of War Veterans of the KLA has drafted a new action platform. The announcement was made by OVL-UÇK Deputy Chairman Fatmir Sopi.

According to him, the platform aims to turn the organization’s response to the judgment into an organized, professional and long-term effort.

Its main objectives include supporting the defense teams in the appeals process, monitoring the rights of convicted persons, launching an institutional debate on amending or repealing Law No. 05/L-053, seeking political accountability, developing peaceful civic pressure, strengthening international engagement and documenting the history of the KLA.

To implement these objectives, OVL-UÇK plans to establish an Action Coordination Council, which will operate under the responsibility of the organization’s leadership. One of the first structures to be set up will be the legal defense team.

The legal team will review the judgment, issues related to the appeal, the standard of proof and procedural safeguards. It will also draft a Legal Memorandum on amending or repealing Law No. 05/L-053, including an analysis of Article 162 of the Constitution and the consequences of each alternative.

In cooperation with the defense teams, when requested, this team will provide research, expertise and additional documentation.

The platform will also include an institutional team for civic action, a team for international relations and the diaspora, and a team for documentation, history and communications.

Fatmir Sopi said that one of OVL-UÇK’s main demands is the holding of a special parliamentary debate, accompanied by a legal review, on changing or repealing the Law on the Specialized Chambers.

According to him, this demand should be supported by a Legal Memorandum analyzing the constitutional basis, the relevant obligations and the consequences of each option. The process should also reassess the relationship between the allegations that led to the creation of the mechanism, including organ trafficking, the Specialized Chambers’ broad mandate, and the concrete results of the investigations and proceedings.

The platform also provides for effective support for the defense in the appeals process, including lawyers, experts, investigators, evidence analysis, translations and specialized expertise, in accordance with the legal framework. Any restriction alleged to undermine the effectiveness of the defense must be documented and submitted to the relevant institutions.

The Solidarity Fund may be used as supplementary assistance, while its use must be accompanied by full auditing and transparency. In addition, professional monitoring will be established to assess fair-trial standards, equality of arms, the handling of evidence, the reasoning of decisions, pretrial detention and procedural safeguards. The monitoring reports will be published in Albanian and English and sent to the relevant institutions.

Sopi announced that the platform’s structures must be established within 30 days. During this period, the legal analysis is expected to begin, requests addressed to institutions are to be formalized, and the relevant files prepared.

Within 90 days, the Legal Memorandum on Law No. 05/L-053, the first report on the appeals process and the International File are expected to be completed. Meanwhile, within six months, the professional monitoring structure, the international and diaspora network, and the KLA Archive should be operational.

Each team will have a designated leader, responsibilities, deadlines and defined results. The Action Coordination Council must report every 30 days on the activities carried out, responsibilities, meetings, expenses and results achieved.

The OVL-UÇK Deputy Chairman stressed that the organization should not limit itself to issuing statements, but should organize its activities, document the issues and take concrete steps.

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A debate took place in the Kosovo Assembly between Speaker Albulena Haxhiu and Serb List MP Igor Simiq during the continuation of the constitutive session on Wednesday.

The clash began after Simiq, while proposing Slavko Simiq for the post of deputy speaker from the Serb community, stated that the candidacy was being presented “in the name of the Serbian people.”

Haxhiu objected to the wording, describing it as unacceptable and contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. After the break ended, she requested that the proposal be reformulated in accordance with the Constitution and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

Haxhiu calls for the statement to be withdrawn

“I want to address the statement made by MP Igor Simiq after he was given the floor to present the proposals for deputy speaker from the non-majority Serb community. MP Simiq made an unacceptable statement. Allow me to read it: ‘In the name of the Serbian people, with the signatures of the majority of MPs occupying the reserved seats for the Serb community, nine of the ten MPs, we propose Slavko Simiq as a candidate for deputy speaker,’” Haxhiu said.

She added that the wording was contrary to the Constitution, stressing: “There is a Serbian people in Serbia, whereas the Republic of Kosovo has the people of Kosovo, of whom 92 percent are Albanians, 4 percent are Serbs and 4 percent belong to other non-majority communities.”

Haxhiu asked Simiq to withdraw the statement and present the proposal in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

Simiq: The proposal was made according to the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure

The Serb List MP did not accept the speaker’s request. He argued that the candidacy for deputy speaker from the Serb community had been submitted in the manner prescribed by the Assembly’s rules.

“I understand the game you are playing. In accordance with Article 67 of the Constitution and Article 12, paragraph 6 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, proposals for the deputy speaker concerning the Serb community, as you call it, are made in writing, and you accepted this on the 6th of the 8th month. So the proposal we submitted…” Simiq said.

His speech was interrupted by Haxhiu, who once again asked him to withdraw the statement and continue with a proposal based on the Constitution and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

Haxhiu: Submit the request based on the Constitution

“Honourable MP, please, control room, cut off his microphone. Withdraw your statement first. I ask you to withdraw your statement first and continue with the proposal in accordance with the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure and the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Not the other words; do it according to the request that is based on the Constitution,” Haxhiu said.

Simiq refused to withdraw the statement and continued to insist on his position.

Simiq: I am a representative of the Serbian people

“I am a representative of the Serbian people, and you will not take this right away from me. So, the proposal in writing that we made on…” he declared.

This intervention was also interrupted by Haxhiu. A few moments later, the speaker suspended the session entirely, saying there was no agreement on the election of the Assembly’s deputy speakers.

The session will continue on Friday, 11 September.

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The issue of salaries in the justice system has clashed opposition and majority representatives during the meeting of the Conference of Presidents.

The head of the PD parliamentary group, Gazment Bardhi, criticized the Assembly for not implementing a decision of the Constitutional Court.

On the other side, the head of the Socialist parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, stated that the decision has been respected and that the authority to set salaries belongs to Parliament.

According to sources for Top Channel journalist Elda Menga, Bardhi addressed the Assembly Speaker, Niko Peleshi, accusing him of not respecting the Constitution.

“Today the courts are in collapse precisely because you do not respect the Constitution. There is a decision of the Constitutional Court on judges’ salaries and you do not deal with that issue. For you, the Constitution does not matter. There is a decision of the Legislation Council to implement the decision of the Constitutional Court, but you do not act. The consequences are that judges are without salaries and today the courts are in crisis. The Assembly is responsible, which does not respect the decisions of the Constitutional Court,” Bardhi is reported to have declared.

Further, the head of the PD parliamentary group stated:

“You are the Speaker of the Assembly, the only one in history who considers the implementation of a government act more important than the Constitution. In the hierarchy of norms, you do not place the Constitution of Albania, but the orders of the Council of Ministers. You spoke to us here about how the new parliamentary session will be, but you are starting this session by violating the Constitution. You ended the previous session by violating the Constitution, now you are starting it with constitutional violations. This Assembly should have started the session yesterday. But you are not serious, you do not know the Constitution.”

Taulant Balla opposed the opposition’s accusations, defending the majority’s actions and emphasizing that the prescribed procedures have been followed.

“We have fully respected the decision of the Constitutional Court and have exercised our constitutional right to propose the relevant law. This side of the Assembly has never questioned the decisions of the Constitutional Court or other courts,” Balla said.

According to him, setting the salary level is the responsibility of Parliament and not of the courts.

“In the democratic world, determining salaries is the competence of Parliament, not of the courts,” Balla declared.

Balla announced that the SP Parliamentary Group has submitted within the deadline the draft law aimed at addressing the Constitutional Court’s decision. He requested that the initiative be examined urgently in committees and then voted on in the plenary session.

The debate takes place as the boycott over August salaries has affected the administration and judicial secretaries, the Civil Chamber and the Criminal Chamber of the Tirana Court, as well as the administration of the Court of Appeals.

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The public hearing on administrative and territorial reorganization in Elbasan took place amid political debate, with the main focus being the proposal to merge Elbasan Municipality with Cërrik Municipality and Belsh Municipality.

Elbasan Mayor Gledian Llatja supported the proposal to expand the central municipality.

According to him, a larger territorial area would create better opportunities for coordinating and integrating services, administration and planning processes.

Opposition representatives voiced reservations about the way the consultation is being conducted. Democratic Party MP Blendi Himçi questioned whether residents had been genuinely informed and involved, or whether the hearings were being held merely to fulfill a formal procedure.

Former Elbasan mayor Ardian Turku also called for every decision to be made following careful consideration. He asked whether the 2014 territorial reform, its results and the problems that emerged during its implementation had been fully analyzed.

Turku stressed that a new reform should be based on data, analysis and concrete arguments, so that the discussion would not be limited solely to political clashes.

Opposition councilor Ergys Muzhaqi also criticized the consultation process, calling for greater transparency and broader citizen participation.

Nevertheless, most participants in the hearing held in Elbasan expressed support for the proposal to expand the central municipality.

Consultations will continue as part of the national process to review the territorial map. In Elbasan, the discussion is expected to focus on the impact that a merger with Cërrik and Belsh could have on public services, administration and community representation.

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Kryetari i Bashkisë Elbasan, Gledian Llatja, e mbështeti propozimin për zgjerimin e bashkisë qendër.

Sipas tij, një shtrirje më e madhe territoriale do të krijonte mundësi për koordinim dhe integrim më të mirë të shërbimeve, administratës dhe proceseve të planifikimit.

Përfaqësuesit e opozitës shprehën rezerva për mënyrën se si po zhvillohet konsultimi. Deputeti demokrat Blendi Himçi vuri në dyshim nëse banorët janë informuar dhe përfshirë në mënyrë reale apo nëse dëgjesat po kryhen vetëm për të përmbushur një procedurë formale.

Edhe ish-kryebashkiaku i Elbasanit, Ardian Turku, kërkoi që çdo vendim të merret pas një shqyrtimi të kujdesshëm. Ai pyeti nëse është analizuar në mënyrë të plotë reforma territoriale e vitit 2014, rezultatet e saj dhe problematikat e shfaqura gjatë zbatimit.

Turku theksoi se një reformë e re duhet të mbështetet në të dhëna, analiza dhe argumente konkrete, në mënyrë që diskutimi të mos kufizohet vetëm te përplasjet politike.

Kritika për procesin e konsultimit pati edhe nga këshilltari i opozitës, Ergys Muzhaqi, i cili kërkoi rritjen e transparencës dhe një pjesëmarrje më të gjerë të qytetarëve.

Megjithatë, shumica e pjesëmarrësve në dëgjesën e zhvilluar në Elbasan, u shprehën në favor të projektidesë për zgjerimin e bashkisë qendër.

Konsultimet do të vijojnë në kuadër të procesit kombëtar për rishikimin e hartës territoriale. Në Elbasan, diskutimi pritet të fokusohet te pasojat që bashkimi me Cërrikun dhe Belshin mund të ketë për shërbimet publike, administrimin dhe përfaqësimin e komuniteteve.

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The European Union has warned that statements by Serbian officials about the possibility of changing the course of the Ibar River do not contribute to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

European Union spokesperson Anita Hipper said at a press conference on August 11 that outstanding issues between the two sides can be resolved only through dialogue.

“We also recall that progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is a prerequisite for both sides to advance on their European path,” Hipper said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on August 9 that Serbian authorities were consulting experts on the possibility of changing the course of the Ibar, linking the issue to the demolition of Serbian homes and villas near Lake Ujman, in northern Kosovo.

His statement prompted strong reactions from officials in Kosovo and was followed by a public clash between officials from Albania and Serbia.

The Ibar River, approximately 270 kilometers long, rises in Montenegro, passes through Serbia and then enters Kosovo, where it feeds the artificial Lake Ujman.

About two-thirds of the lake lies within Kosovo’s territory.

Water from the Ujman and Ibar-Lepenac system supplies seven municipalities, is used for irrigation and cools the power plants in Obiliq, which produce most of Kosovo’s electricity.

Experts who previously spoke to Radio Free Europe said that diverting the course of the Ibar is technically possible, but would be extraordinarily costly and, if it caused damage to Kosovo, would violate the principles of international law governing transboundary waters.

Serbia is a signatory to the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses.

Among other things, the convention establishes the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of transboundary waters, as well as the obligation not to cause significant harm to other states.

Kosovo is not party to this convention, as it is not a member of the United Nations./RFE

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This Thursday, Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha leveled serious accusations against Taulant Balla during his speech in Parliament. Berisha described the previous speaker as the ugliest representative of crime and accused him of having freed the two terrorists who planted explosives under the seat of Lulzim Kulla’s bicycle.

According to him, Balla is the intermediary in vote-trading deals and the figure identified in the document known as “bundra,” while claiming that Balla himself is the real “bundrra.”

Berisha also addressed him with the words: “Why are you saying this, sir? Go to court and defend him as a lawyer.”

The Democratic Party leader also said he could read out the deals that, according to him, Balla arranges for Suel Çela’s cars.

He added that the citizens present are demanding an end to Parliament because MPs represent gangs and crime, not citizens.

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