The Pristina-based Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) reacted today to a letter that EU top officials, Mogherini, Salstrom and Hahn, sent to the Kosovo government and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj about dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. The GLPS argues that the letter is an attempt to challenge Kosovo’s democratic decision-making framework. The group issued a press release saying, “The letter clearly imposes the goal that the only representative in dialogue should be President Hashim Thaci. In doing so, it implies that the Assembly and Government, or anyone else cannot perform a representative and constitutional mandate in the process. Let us recall that the role of the EU is to mediate the process of dialogue and the EU is supposed to help reach an acceptable agreement that would be a direct reflection of democratic institutions from both sides. Such a process cannot serve as an instrument to arrange the power relations of political leaders or to rearrange competencies that in our case are prescribed by the Constitution”. The Group says the letter seems to aim to fully neutralize the representative and determining role of the Kosovo Assembly in a process that is expected to determine Kosovo’s peaceful future with Serbia. “In a parliamentary democracy, such as Kosovo, the institution of the Assembly enjoys a central role in determining the negotiating role in cases when matter of exceptional importance, such as the final settlement with Serbia, are concerned. Consequently, anyone that tries to bypass such a role serves the exact opposite of the normalization of relations. The EU cannot interfere in dialogue in a way that undermines the order of internal democracy which is clearly stipulated in the country’s constitution”. The Group also calls on Kosovo’s leaders to reject the call. “We call on the President, Government and the Assembly to reject calls for Kosovo’s representation in international forums, including dialogue, to be modelled according to requests that are not in line with the constitutional order and competencies, the minimal rules of parliamentary democracy, and the political power of actors in the Assembly. Otherwise, Kosovo’s representation and its fate in international processes will be linked to individual names and not to universal values, objectives and principles. It should be clear to Ms. Mogherini and Mr. Hahn that such actions have a direct impact on the pro-European sentiments of the people of the Republic of Kosovo”.
GLPS: Letter from EU challenges Kosovo’s democratic decision-making framework (media)
- Published: 5 years ago on 18/12/2018
- By: OSCPA F
- Last Modified: December 18, 2018 @ 12:44 pm
- Filed Under: Articles from Kosovo media
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