Thaci's MPs "won't change position" on special court

Thaci's MPs "won't change position" on special court

The daily Zeri writes that Thaci and Isa Mustafa's trip to Berlin was to prepare to once again introduce a bill on constitutional amendments to the Kosovo assembly, that, if passed, would allow the adoption of a law on the establishment of a special court.

The Kosovo assembly last week failed to pass the necessary legislation.

Thaci, the paper writes, promised Merkel that 13 members of his party who last Friday did not vote for in favor would change their minds.

The daily added that Thaci, who also serves as foreign minister, "has given strong guarantees to the German chancellor that he will convince his deputies to vote for the establishment of a special court," and cited Thaci's message posted on Facebook shortly after the meeting in which he said:

"We promised Chancellor Merkel that we will very quickly establish a special tribunal and finalize other international obligations that we have."

The daily Koha Ditore says that its TV outlet, Kohavision, contacted those PDK deputies who on Friday did not vote for the constitutional amendments, and that they said they would not change their position.

The newspaper noted that 13 MPs "defied their boss" and that seven voted against, two abstained, while four were not present.

The daily quoted Director of the Kosovo Democratic Institute Driton Selmanaj who believes that putting the legislation up for another vote "is not good practice," and that "a lot of time is needed for that."

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said after returning from Berlin this week that "Kosovo has no other way but to form a special court for war crimes committed by the KLA," stating that "any different outcome would be very dangerous" for Pristina.

He also "recalled it was an international obligation of Pristina to investigate the report of Special Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dick Marty," and a subsequent report by prosecutor Clint Williamson.

The Marty report deals with the allegations that the ethnic Albanian KLA kidnapped and illegally imprisoned Serb and other civilians, and harvested their body parts for sale in the international black market.

Mustafa also announced he would discuss the topic of the formation of the court "with all parliamentary groups."