Kosovo government is seeking solution for transforming Kosovo Security Forces (KSF)  into armed ones, in a way that would ‘by-pass’ expected blockade by Serbian MPs.

A scenario that has being mentioned provides that there won’t be constitutional changes, for which votes of Serb MPs are needed, instead it would be carried out through amendments of the existing law on KSF, in a way that provisions on armed forces are ‘planted’ in it, whereas they would still be named as ‘security’ forces.

The Deputy Kosovo Parliament Speaker Jasmina Živković explained that in case that KSF would be transformed into armed forces by law’s amendments, this would require simple majority of votes in the parliament and Serb MPs’ votes would not be necessary. “Such law could be disputed in front of the Constitutional Court,” said Živković.

The chairperson of the Serbian Parliament’s Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun argues that creation of the armed forces ‘through the small door’, even if army would not be mentioned in its name is unacceptable for Belgrade. “That would only hinder inter-ethnic relations and jeopardize the stability. We should remember that KSF has come out of Kosovo Protection Corpus, which was co-perpetrator in pogrom of Serbs in 2004. In addition, (UNSC) Resolution 1244 does not mention other armed forces in Kosovo, beside international ones,” said Drecun.

The spokesperson of the Kosovo government Arban Abrashi, confirmed to Novosti that work is ongoing  on the draft law that would enable transformation of the KSF, and that NATO experts and representatives’ of minorities in Kosovo were consulted.