Haradinaj brings Serbia back to Kosovo (Sputnik)
Participation of Serbs, in the new government, requesting to have all the rights as stipulated in the Kosovo Constitution, Albanian elite considers as return of Belgrade to this area, Sputnik writes.
Although Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the coalition PAN and winner of the elections in Kosovo, informed Hashim Thaci a week ago, that he has enough votes to form the government, Thaci still did not entrust him a mandate.
According to different interpretations Kosovo could get the government headed by Haradinaj on 27 July. According to Goran Rakic, chair of the Srpska Lista, it still remains uncertain whether Serbs would be part of the governing coalition.
Stefan Surlic from the Faculty of Political Science thinks Serbs are at the moment in a position they could benefit from, as without them Haradinaj does not have a majority to establish the government.
“Serbs would be in a position to “blackmail” meaning to have greater requests and asked to be included into Pristina government. This could overstep guaranteed posts to them, more precisely they could get more than 2 guaranteed ministerial posts. Now even 4 posts are mentioned, so in addition to the Ministry of Communities and Returns, Serbs can get some other ministries that could have more serious impact to the Kosovo society,” Surlic stated.
Public opinion in Kosovo already sees greater participation of the Serbs in the Kosovo Government as a return of Belgrade to Kosovo, having in mind that Belgrade openly supported Srpska Lista. Albin Kurti does not change his opinion that Serbs should not be part of the executive branch, only within the framework given to them by the Constitution. Kurti also thinks that making “too great concessions to Serbs” would de facto, as he said it earlier “annul the independence of Kosovo.”