Sljuka: According to agreements, Kosovo Government must be involved in the formation of the CSM

The Government of Kosovo is an integral part of the process of forming the Community of Serb Municipalities, Aleksandar Sljuka, a member of the NGO New Social Initiative, says for Kosovo Online. He described Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's statement – that the formation of the CSM is not within the executive branch's jurisdiction – as another form of populist rhetoric aimed at excluding himself from this process, complicating the formation of the CSM, and avoiding responsibility.
“He is trying to present to the domestic audience and his voters that he has not accepted anything involving the Government of Kosovo or himself, framing the CSM as being on the same level as the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, where municipalities can unite independently. He refers to Kosovo's laws and constitution, but this is fundamentally inaccurate. If we examine the 2015 agreement on the CSM, it specifies that the Government of Kosovo should adopt a decree regarding the CSM, which it will then forward to the Constitutional Court to assess the constitutionality and legality of the CSM Statute. This clearly demonstrates the Government’s involvement in the process,” Sljuka explained.
He adds that Kurti’s statement that "he cannot establish the association of municipalities" should not be viewed solely as part of election rhetoric, as Kurti has been openly opposed to the CSM’s formation not only during his time in office but also during his tenure in opposition when he organized numerous protests against the agreements that provided for the establishment of the CSM.
“According to the agreements, the Government of Kosovo is tasked with facilitating the formation of the Community and, consequently, the transition and integration of remaining Serbian institutions into Kosovo’s system. This cannot be achieved solely at the municipal level. There must be coordination between the Government of Kosovo and the Government of Serbia. Numerous challenges must be addressed at this level, not at the level of local self-governments. An entire system needs to be harmonized between Serbia and Kosovo, such as the funding of institutions, and all this requires the involvement of higher levels of decision-making, namely the Government of Kosovo,” Sljuka emphasized.
The CSM, he reminds, was established as a mechanism within the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
“It was created through an agreement ratified by the Kosovo Assembly, which adopted it as an international obligation. Meanwhile, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities is something municipalities independently organized among themselves, without being based on any international agreement,” Sljuka explained.
According to him, Kurti is now seeking new arguments to avoid the CSM, as he previously relied on the Constitutional Court’s opinion that the CSM was not aligned with the Constitution, and when international representatives stated that the European Union’s proposed CSM Statute aligns with the Constitution, Kurti shifted his argument to claim that the Kosovo Government has no role in the matter.
“The key demand of international actors is for the Government to submit the draft Statute prepared by the European Union to the Constitutional Court to unlock this entire process. This is the first step they require to advance the dialogue and in the context of the Agreement on the Path to Normalization reached last year,” Sljuka concluded.
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