The leadership of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and leaders of the branches of this party, have issued a press release which accuses some of its MPs and members of the party for heralding against the voting (on demarcation of the border with Montenegro) at the Assembly. According to the press release, those MPs and members are spokespeople of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).
Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) deputy leader, Lutfi Haziri, said in an interview for Rrokum TV that the reason behind the decision to set 1 September as the date when the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro will be voted has to do with the Kosovo Assembly presidency’s agenda. He ruled out the possibility of the move having been requested by his party, the LDK. “Now is the time for the entire political spectrum to behave with caution and maturity with regards to interests and processes that are of vital importance for the future of the country,” added Haziri.
The Presidency of the Kosovo Assembly adopted a decision to discuss the issue of border demarcation with Montenegro on September 1, confirmed to RTV Kim Slobodan Petrović.
Petrović referred to the incident when Glauk Konjufca, from the Self-Determination movement, threw tear gas during a session of the Presidium caucus.
The agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro will be put up for vote before the Kosovo legislators on 1 September, decided the Kosovo Assembly presidency in today’s meeting. Although the agreement was expected to be voted by the MPs this week, the presidency decided to give more time to the ruling and opposition parties to reach a consensus.
Vetëvendosje leader Visar Ymeri has compared Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, Assembly President Kadri Veseli, and President Hashim Thaçi to the pigs from George Orwell’s Animal Farm accusing them of violating democracy in Kosovo. Ymeri said Vetëvendosje will spare no means to oppose the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro from being ratified.
The Vetëvendosje Movement parliamentary group chief, Glauk Konjufca, during the Kosovo Assembly Presidency meeting today set off teargas as a sign of protest against sending the border-demarcation agreement to the Assembly for ratification. The meeting was temporarily interrupted and later continued in a different venue.
The Association of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) veterans has expressed concern over the border demarcation process with Montenegro saying it has caused a huge rift of the Kosovo society. The KLA veterans consider that the arguments presented by relevant experts opposing the agreement are right. “Kosovo needs its western allies but we don’t believe our allies would support the shrinking of our territory,” reads a press release issued by the KLA association. It goes on to call on the Kosovo Assembly not to ratify the border demarcation agreement in the current version.
Montenegro police has prevented residents of villages from Deçan/Dečani and Peja/Peć municipalities from reaching the so-called Kulla e Zhlepit location which the opposition and local residents claim is where the border between Kosovo and Montenegro should be. Police said that area is in the territory of Montenegro. The residents turned back but urged the Assembly MPs not to ratify the border demarcation agreement.
Kosovo’s European Integration Minister, Bekim Çollaku, said on Wednesday that the European Union might not discuss the visa liberalization issue for Kosovo if the Kosovo Assembly does not ratify the border-demarcation agreement with Montenegro. “The European Parliament has made it clear that the ratification of this agreement is a condition for visa liberalization. If the Assembly does not ratify the border-demarcation agreement, the EU might not even discuss the visa liberalization issue,” Çollaku said.
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) during a joint press conference today urged the Kosovo Assembly MPs not to vote the border-demarcation deal with Montenegro. AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj said that sending the border-demarcation agreement to the Assembly for ratification was the wrong choice. “Today the leadership will decide when to send the demarcation agreement to the Assembly. This is the wrong choice and is being opposed by the opposition and citizens.