Jakaj: Session should continue today, Simić also used the term “Serbian people” in 2021

Naim Jakaj of the Kosovo Law Institute said that the Assembly session should continue today, adding that Igor Simić had also used the term “Serbian people” in 2021, when nominating a candidate for Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

He stressed that the Assembly should not be blocked today, as Simić had used the term “Serbian people” before as well, Koha reported.

“The Speaker of the Assembly should continue the session today and should not wait 48 hours. She was told today that the Deputy Speaker candidates from the PDK and LDK would not be voted on because of their statements that they would not vote for the President. We are in a situation where October is approaching, when Albulena Haxhiu’s term as Acting President expires. The Constitution of Kosovo does not provide for two terms. There is a six-month term,” Jakaj said.

He said he had expected the Assembly to be constituted today so that the deadlines for electing the President and forming the Government could begin to run, assessing that it was entirely unprincipled and unfair for the Self-Determination Movement to make the constitution of the Assembly conditional on an agreement on the election of the President.

Jakaj described as unethical the invitation extended to the leaders of the PDK and LDK to attend a meeting at which, according to the announcement, their proposals for Deputy Speakers of the Assembly were to be discussed.

“Nor should voting for the Deputy Speakers proposed by the parties be made conditional. It was precisely the Self-Determination Movement that disrupted the consensus regarding the vote on the Deputy Speakers. We went to the elections in order to constitute the Kosovo Assembly. Since 8 August, nothing has been principled. It is unethical for the Self-Determination Movement to make the constitution of the Assembly conditional on an agreement on the election of the President, because the two processes are not connected,” Jakaj said.

He added that the decisions of the PDK and LDK to participate in the session should be welcomed.
Jakaj assessed that, as of 4 October, Kosovo would enter a state of institutional crisis because, after that date, there would be no Acting President. According to him, any decrees signed by Haxhiu after that date could be challenged before the courts.

Jakaj added that Kosovo could lose more than EUR 162 million in funding under the Growth Plan by the end of the year.