Assembly presidency suspends opposition MPs from Monday’s session
(All monitored broadcasters, TV21)
Monday’s Assembly session was followed by tensions. Opposition members tried to block the session and tear gas was fired again.
In the morning hours of Monday, many police officers showed up both inside and outside the Kosovo Assembly building.
In the morning, Assembly Presidency reconfirmed that the plenary session will be held at 11:00 hrs. Around 10:00 hrs, MPs started to enter the Assembly building, but before entering the Assembly they had to undergo a strict security check. While trying to enter the Assembly, Vetëvendosje MP Fisnik Ismajli was stopped and arrested by police. Police confirmed that two teargas canisters were found in possession of MP Ismajli.
Following many checks, MPs of the ruling and opposition parties entered the plenary session, but before starting the session, the scenario of previous sessions was repeated. Vetëvendosje MP Ismail Kurteshi and AAK MP Haxhi Shala fired teargas inside the Assembly room. Both MPs were arrested by the police after the incident.
The teargas made the presence of MPs in the Assembly room impossible.
As a result of this, the session was postponed for 14:00 hrs. Following this, the Assembly Presidency suspended the MPs of opposition parties from Monday’s session. Shukrije Bytyci from Nisma and Ilir Dedaj from Vetëvendosje were the only ones allowed to be present in the session, and the suspension was valid only for Monday.
After the suspension, the Assembly resumed the session in the main room according to the agenda set by the Assembly Presidency, with the participation of 81 MPs in this session.
Opposition tried to enter the Assembly room, but security guards prevented from entering while they once again fired teargas in the Assembly hall. Nevertheless, the Assembly session continued without the presence of opposition MPs.
On the other hand, opposition parties reacted saying that from now on they will oppose the agreements with Serbia and Montenegro through street protests.
In the later news editions RTK1 reported that the Assembly session concluded at around 23:00 hrs, while all 35 agenda points were passed.
Concluding Monday’s session, Kosovo Assembly Speaker, Kadri Veseli repeated his call to the opposition. “Opposition should return to the Assembly. This is where they belong”, Speaker Veseli said.
Three opposition MPs arrested
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Around 97 Vetëvendosje activists were arrested during Saturday’s manifestation, MP Albin Kurti among them, while during Monday Kosovo Police also arrested several opposition MPs.
Vetevendosje MP Fisnik Ismajli headed to Monday’s session of the Kosovo Assembly with two teargas canisters with him. However, this time, Ismajli did not manage to pass even the first security check as he was detected by the Kosovo Police. After being scrutinized, Ismajli was isolated and handcuffed after.
Shortly after his arrest, Vetevendosje reported that 48-hour detention was set to its MP – Fisnik Ismajli. Vetevendosje requested immediate release for him and other activists.
“The projects like the Association and Demarcation with Montenegro, which can only pass by imprisoning the opposition, are illegitimate and non-implementable projects,” a Vetevendosje announcement reads.
However, the thing that MP Ismajli did not manage to do was done by his colleagues Haxhi Shala and Ismail Kurteshi. They fired two other teargas canisters at the very beginning of the Assembly session.
Different from earlier cases when the arrest warrants for opposition MPs came in late, on Monday the police was very quick and arrested the MPs straight away.
Nisma per Kosoven requested immediate release of its MP, Haxhi Shala.
The other MP of Vetevendosje, Ismail Kurteshi, was arrested after Shala. He was seen being taken out of the Assembly building by two civil police members. Police said that MP collaborated with them during the arrests.
On the other hand, the last teargas canister at the Assembly of Kosovo was fired by the AAK MP Pal Lekaj after the opposition was excluded from the session. Opposition MPs constantly tried to break the security cordon to reach the Assembly room where the session was held, but they did not manage to get there.
Konjufca: Authorities are trying to extinct the opposition
(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Vetevendosje caucus leader Glauk Konjufca said that the authorities are trying to extinct the opposition. He said that if the opposition will be expelled from sessions at the Assembly of Kosovo, than there will a nation-wide protest for bringing the Government down.
Konjufca said that protests of the opposition will not stop as long as the Government, which is not demonstrating understanding, is removed from power.
EU against the blockade of the Assembly
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
The EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative and the Embassies/Offices of the EU Member States in Kosovo reacted to the Monday’s developments.
“Today we have witnessed a continued obstruction by the opposition of the Assembly work. This kind of violent obstruction is neither acceptable nor will it solve any problem for the citizens of Kosovo/ EU Office and the Embassies of the EU Member States in Kosovo call for the return to dialogue in the political life in general and the Assembly in particular to prevent any further escalation of violence that could lead to damage of property and injuries to human lives. The people need all of the Assembly and institutions to work and tackle economic, social and other everyday challenges they face”, reads their joint press statement.
Moreover, the press statement emphasizes that the peaceful conduct of Saturday’s opposition protests is an example of a democratic way to express disagreement over political issues and a proof that Kosovo and its political leaders are able to engage in a political dialogue through democratic means.
“Nobody is above the law, and the law has to be equally applied to all. In a society governed by the rule of law principles, the decision of a judicial body must be respected and implemented regardless of who is in question. At the same time, in exercising their function, the institutions have an obligation to ensure the full respect for human rights of the persons’ concerned.” concludes the joint press statement.
Lunacek criticizes the timing for Kurti’s arrest
(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1)
Ulrike Lunacek, the Vice President of the European Parliament and Rapporteur for Kosovo, commented the recent developments.
In an interview with Kosovapress, Lunacek said that the arrest of Vetëvendosje MP, Albin Kurti and tens of other activists in Saturday might have been carried out according to the criminal procedures, but considering the tensed situation, the timing and the expansion of this action was not useful, as she stated, to support a new, strong and necessary dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties.
She urged Government and opposition to find ways to overcome the disagreements.
Amnesty International calls for investigation into Kosovo Police actions
(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)
Human rights organization Amnesty International has called for an investigation into actions by Kosovo Police, following the arrests of Vetëvendosje activists on Saturday.
“From the videos and photographs we have seen, it appears that the Kosovo Police used excessive force during the operation to arrest members of Vetëvendosje in the party’s offices on Saturday,” Sian Jones, Amnesty International’s researcher on the Balkans, told Kosovo 2.0.
“We are in the process of gathering further information, but would urge the authorities and the National Preventive Mechanism to immediately open investigations into the conduct of the police, and any individual allegations of ill-treatment received,” Jones further said.
Assembly returns the draft-law on freedom of religion to Government
(Klan Kosova)
As no teargas was fired, Assembly session resumed its work normally, but with the absence of the MPs from the opposition. Present MPs of the ruling coalition had to discuss 35 points of the agenda.
The first points of the agenda reviewed were the two agreements with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which had to be ratified with two thirds of the votes. Ratification of these agreements went without any problems.
On the other hand, the draft-law on freedom of religion incited a heated debate amongst the MPs. The draft-law was presented for its first reading to the MPs by the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Arban Abrashi.
“With this draft-law we aim to regulate the legal statute of religious communities, because a religious community without the legal statute cannot own or exercise its rights,” minister Abrashi said.
But several MPs from the two ruling parties did not agree with the minister.
PDK MP Labinotë Demi-Murtezi said that the draft-law does not fulfil citizens’ requests or expectations.
Independent MP Gëzim Kelmendi reacted even harsher. He said that this draft-law should not be amended, but it should be returned to the Government. Kelmendi said that minister Abrashi should cooperate with all the religious communities in Kosovo and present a law which is in compliance with the tolerance and religious co-existence of all religious communities in Kosovo to the MPs.
While, Nait Hasani spoke more about the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC). He said that some Orthodox priests should be banned from serving in Kosovo with this draft-law.
“Through this law, the Assembly, should discipline or ban the activity of some priests in some Orthodox Churches because of their continuous nationalistic hate”, Hasani said.
Sabri Hamiti of LDK also said that he will not support this draft-law.
Because of these reactions, the draft-law was not passed and the Government needs to revise it.
MPs also voted for two judges for Constitutional Court. Out of four candidates, the Assembly proposed to Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, two judges for the Constitutional Court: Gresa Cakaj-Nimani and Selevete Gërxhaliu.
AKJ calls upon media outlets to provide necessary equipment to journalists
(RTK1)
The Association of Kosovo Journalists (AKJ) expressed concerned with the lack of actions from media outlets in Kosovo while the security situation has aggravated and the journalists are the most exposed to danger.
Through a press release, AKJ says that despite the developments, Kosovo media barely deal with journalists’ safety.
AKJ requests from media outlets and their management to provide the necessary equipment to journalists for their duty, including IDs, jackets with visible Press signs and gas masks.
