The Presidency of the Kosovo Assembly today did not include on the agenda of 21 May the constitutional amendments required for the establishment of the special court that will address war crimes allegations. Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli told reporters after the meeting that additional consultations were needed to reach a consensus among the parliamentary parties. “The most important thing is to have international partnership and a national consensus,” Veseli said. “Allow me to reiterate that Kosovo’s economic development should be our priority.

Head of Vetevendosje’s parliamentary group, Glauk Konjufca, presented today at the Assembly session the proposal to discuss the recent developments in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). However the proposal was not approved by the MPs with 50 being against the debate, 28 in favour and five abstaining.

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli commented today on the recent events that took place in Kumanovo, FYROM. Although he stressed that problems in FYROM are not Kosovo’s he said he shared the pain of the families affected by the recent clashes in Kumanovo.

With 65 votes in favor and lots of criticism, the Assembly of Kosovo approved the draft law on Gender Equality.  The bill sparked debate among MPs in the Assembly, who had many objections to the current law, and said that this law is not good enough and has many shortcomings. The bill was presented by Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Arban Abrashi, who said that this is a set of general measures for the protection and security of all equal rights for women and men.The Assembly also approved the draft law on protection from discrimination.

Draft Law on Cultural Heritage was withdrawn from the Assembly procedure, MPs of the Serbian List point out that not all parties have been involved in the writing of this draft.

They announced that in the coming period they will work on the amendment and finalization of the draft of the law so that the law is in line with the rights of all communities in Kosovo.

Vice-President of the Assembly, Jasmina Zivkovic expects that next draft law proposals would suit the needs of all ethnic communities in Kosovo.

Blerim Shala, former deputy leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and current coordinator in the dialogue between Pristina and e Belgrade,  writes that states and societies, just as individuals and families, can reach a situation when they need an event to regain their dignity, and self-confidence, an event which could be later used as a source to move forward, and mobilize political and social power to improve themselves.

International sources said that it is most likely the establishment of the special court will be put to vote at the Kosovo Assembly during May, namely between 21 and 25 May. “The special court will be established before 26 May which is when the UN Security Council meeting has been scheduled for,” said the unnamed source adding that Kosovo leaders have been informed that the court will have to be voted before this date.

Kosovo Assembly is scheduled to hold two plenary sessions this week but it will not discuss establishment of the special court in either, decided the Assembly presidency in its meeting today. Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli said they would include the establishment of the special court in the agenda as soon as the relevant commission submits it. He said it would be good for the draft law on special court to be discussed next week but that it is not certain this will be the case.

After a two-month break, Serbian MPs returned to the assembly, but were not present all parliamentarians of the list at the session held day before yesterday. Five deputies did not attend the Assembly session, a Serbian caucus in the Kosovo parliament, Sasa Milosavljevic, says RTK2 that these MPs were absent due to urgent commitments.

Milosavljevic also denies that there was disunity within this list.