MPs to debate draft resolution on Kosovo on Saturday

BELGRADE The Serbian parliament will discuss a draft resolution on Kosovo at a session that will be held on Saturday, it was agreed at parliament’s Collegium Thursday. The parliamentary session will begin at 11:00 CET on Saturday. MPs to debate draft resolution on Kosovo on Saturday The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and the Democratic Party (DS) are conditioning their support while Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) says it will not back the resolution. “After the Collegium meeting, which was attended by representatives of all MP groups, it was agreed that the upcoming session would be held in an atmosphere that would protect dignity of the Serbian parliament despite differences among the parties,” said parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic. He said that the MPs would try not to let the debate on the draft resolution last too long and instead vote on it the same day but he did not rule out a possibility that the debate would be continued on Sunday. Stefanovic stressed that amendments to the draft would be discussed together with the draft resolution. According to him, the adoption process will certainly be finished by January 17 when the political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is expected to continue. The speaker said that draft laws that were already in the parliamentary procedure had also been discussed and that it was decided that the next session of parliament would be scheduled for January 20 and that 20 bills would then be discussed. The Serbian government unanimously adopted two documents on Kosovo on Wednesday and therefore, according to PM Ivica Dacic, “expressed full state unity”. Parliamentary Committee on Kosovo Chairman Milovan Drecun has announced that the committee will hold a session and discuss the resolution on Kosovo on Friday. “An integral part of the resolution in the explanation section is the platform so we will be able to discuss it and we expect the government to send someone to the committee session to give us introductory remarks and explanation about the resolution,” Drecun said. Serbian president’s advisor Marko Djuric, who took part in the drafting of the platform, has confirmed he will attend the Committee session. “I believe that what is written in the basic principles in the resolution should not be problematic to anyone. A key principle is that we will not recognize the unilaterally declared independence but we fully open the door to the dialogue with the Albanian side for a sustainable and more permanent solution until the final solution is found,” Drecun added. He noted that he did not see why anyone would reject the principles. According to Drecun, it is necessary for the majority of parties and the public to support the resolution in order to significantly strengthen Serbia’s negotiating position. Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) whip Branko Ruzic expects that the resolution will be adopted in parliament on Saturday. He added that the ruling coalition would show unity on the issue. He announced that Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, members of his cabinet and President Tomislav Nikolic would attend the session and that the prime minister and president would address the MPs. Ruzic said that the draft represented a sufficient framework that would allow the negotiators to find a solution and at the same reflected a need to protect state and national interests. The DSS says it will support the resolution if its amendments, aimed at harmonizing the document with the Constitution, are adopted. DS whip Borislav Stefanovic said that the DS would support the document if it had an opportunity to make changes to the draft resolution. “I am not saying that we are condition anything but we believe that it is better to change some things in the draft. There are really some illogical and contradictory things in there and things that will tie the government’s hands,” he said. He added that the DS leadership would decide on the party’s position on the draft resolution. LDP MP Ivan Andric has stated that his party would not support the draft resolution at the parliamentary session on Saturday. He stressed that the ruling majority had shown that it had no common stance when it came to the solving of the Kosovo issue. Andric added that the draft resolution was “too general” and that the explanation was different from the rest of the resolution. According to him, the “resolution largely contradicts itself”. Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO)- Christian Democratic Party of Serbia (DHSS) parliamentary group has stated it will vote for the resolution. “We will vote for the resolution. We believe there are some unrealistic parts that sugarcoat the reality. However, this is not a reason to be against everything we have been advocating for the past decade,” SPO-DHSS whip Aleksandar Jugovic told reporters. He stressed that the government’s draft resolution contained almost all elements of the Ahtisaari plan and that he did not understand why this had not been explicitly said. (Tanjug) Beta Tanjug

MPs to debate draft resolution on Kosovo on Saturday

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and the Democratic Party (DS) are conditioning their support while Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) says it will not back the resolution.

“After the Collegium meeting, which was attended by representatives of all MP groups, it was agreed that the upcoming session would be held in an atmosphere that would protect dignity of the Serbian parliament despite differences among the parties,” said parliament Speaker Nebojša Stefanović.

He said that the MPs would try not to let the debate on the draft resolution last too long and instead vote on it the same day but he did not rule out a possibility that the debate would be continued on Sunday.

Stefanović stressed that amendments to the draft would be discussed together with the draft resolution.

According to him, the adoption process will certainly be finished by January 17 when the political dialogue between Belgrade and Priština is expected to continue.

The speaker said that draft laws that were already in the parliamentary procedure had also been discussed and that it was decided that the next session of parliament would be scheduled for January 20 and that 20 bills would then be discussed.

The Serbian government unanimously adopted two documents on Kosovo on Wednesday and therefore, according to PM Ivica Dačić, “expressed full state unity”.

Parliamentary Committee on Kosovo Chairman Milovan Drecun has announced that the committee will hold a session and discuss the resolution on Kosovo on Friday.

“An integral part of the resolution in the explanation section is the platform so we will be able to discuss it and we expect the government to send someone to the committee session to give us introductory remarks and explanation about the resolution,” Drecun said.

Serbian president’s advisor Marko Đurić, who took part in the drafting of the platform, has confirmed he will attend the Committee session.

“I believe that what is written in the basic principles in the resolution should not be problematic to anyone. A key principle is that we will not recognize the unilaterally declared independence but we fully open the door to the dialogue with the Albanian side for a sustainable and more permanent solution until the final solution is found,” Drecun added.

He noted that he did not see why anyone would reject the principles. According to Drecun, it is necessary for the majority of parties and the public to support the resolution in order to significantly strengthen Serbia’s negotiating position.

Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) whip Branko Ružić expects that the resolution will be adopted in parliament on Saturday. He added that the ruling coalition would show unity on the issue.

He announced that Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, members of his cabinet and President Tomislav Nikolić would attend the session and that the prime minister and president would address the MPs.

Ružić said that the draft represented a sufficient framework that would allow the negotiators to find a solution and at the same reflected a need to protect state and national interests.

The DSS says it will support the resolution if its amendments, aimed at harmonizing the document with the Constitution, are adopted.

DS whip Borislav Stefanović said that the DS would support the document if it had an opportunity to make changes to the draft resolution.

“I am not saying that we are condition anything but we believe that it is better to change some things in the draft. There are really some illogical and contradictory things in there and things that will tie the government’s hands,” he said.

He added that the DS leadership would decide on the party’s position on the draft resolution.

LDP MP Ivan Andrić has stated that his party would not support the draft resolution at the parliamentary session on Saturday.

He stressed that the ruling majority had shown that it had no common stance when it came to the solving of the Kosovo issue.

Andrić added that the draft resolution was “too general” and that the explanation was different from the rest of the resolution. According to him, the “resolution largely contradicts itself”.

Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO)- Christian Democratic Party of Serbia (DHSS) parliamentary group has stated it will vote for the resolution.

“We will vote for the resolution. We believe there are some unrealistic parts that sugarcoat the reality. However, this is not a reason to be against everything we have been advocating for the past decade,” SPO-DHSS whip Aleksandar Jugović told reporters.

He stressed that the government’s draft resolution contained almost all elements of the Ahtisaari plan and that he did not understand why this had not been explicitly said.