Kosovo debate scheduled for Wednesday

The parliamentary session on Kosovo will take place on Wednesday at 2 p.m. A vote on the 2008 budget will place at 10 a.m. the same day. Kosovo debate scheduled for Wednesday Following consultations with Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic, Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic scheduled the session on Kosovo for Wednesday, December 26 at 14.00, said a statement from Dulic’s office. "Bearing in mind that consultations are due to start during the course of the day between Minister Samardzic with parliamentary groups over the text of the Kosovo resolution, and that the government has yet to submit the draft laws needed for calling of local and provincial elections, it was deemed that conditions were such that the session on Kosovo could be brought forward," the statement said. Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic is due to open official talks over the resolution’s text with party leaders in parliament today, announced Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic. The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New Serbia had asked a new provision to be inserted into the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU guaranteeing and respecting Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, before agreeing to sign the document. DSS MP Milos Aligrudic explained yesterday at a meeting in Krusevac that the party would attempt to define key principles of national policy with its coalition partners in the next few days. According to Aligrudic, positions need to be agreed upon concerning the attacks from abroad, particularly from certain EU member-states who are calling for a Union mission to be sent to Kosovo, bypassing the UN Security Council. Another matter are relations with the U.S. and NATO who, as he put it, wish to legitimize the annexation of one part of Serbia that an occupying force usurped through bombing. The DSS’s coalition partner Velimir Ilic claims that the session on Kosovo on December 28 will be historic and that President Boris Tadic will have to decide there how Serbia is to join the EU – with Kosovo, or without it. “We want to join the EU, but honorably, as a sovereign state, not on our knees, with a part of our territory snatched away from us by the EU,” said Ilic. Mladjan Dinkic, right, in parliament today (Tanjug) Radicals threat Parliament's debate on amendments to the draft law on changes to the privatization bill had been under threat of obstruction earlier. On the agenda was a proposal envisaging the end of the privatization process by the end of 2008 for which 36 amendments have been submitted, of which 23 have been considered thus far. However, at the beginning of the session, some opposition MPs, calling on the Rulebook, demanded an immediate debate on Kosovo. Serb Radical Party (SRS) official Dragan Todorovic announced that his party would obstruct the parliament’s work if the debate did not begin by Wednesday, December 26. “Unless the Kosovo debate gets under way by Wednesday, the SRS will obstruct the parliament’s work and will do nothing else until we receive a draft proposal, otherwise we will formulate that proposal ourselves,” said Todorovic during the session. The MP explained that SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolic had spoken with Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic, and that they had agreed that immediately after the UN Security Council session the negotiating team should submit its report on the talks, and that parliament should adopt a new resolution. He said that the Radicals had asked for the session on Kosovo to be held today and said that it was unacceptable for it to be postponed until Friday, December 28, as this was the last day before the New Year holidays. Under the proposed amendments to the privatization bill, companies that have still not been bought by the end of next year would find strategic partners by being sold through receivership. Under another amendment, in the event of a tender winner pulling out a deal subsequently, rather than calling a second tender, consultations would then begin with the second placed bidder. Dinkic: SAA as soon as possible G17 Plus President Mladjan Dinkic says that the party opposes anyone who seeks to obstruct Serbia’s path to the EU. At a session of the party’s main board, Dinkic said there was no alternative to Serbia’s speedy integration “If, in the event of an unfavorable outcome to the Kosovo crisis, our decision was fatalistic, we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot. G17 Plus is against any kind of delays, and feels the SAA should be signed as soon as possible. Anything else would be irresponsible, utterly pointless spite and defeatist policy,” said the G17 Plus leader.

Kosovo debate scheduled for Wednesday

Following consultations with Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić, Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulić scheduled the session on Kosovo for Wednesday, December 26 at 14.00, said a statement from Dulić’s office.

"Bearing in mind that consultations are due to start during the course of the day between Minister Samardžić with parliamentary groups over the text of the Kosovo resolution, and that the government has yet to submit the draft laws needed for calling of local and provincial elections, it was deemed that conditions were such that the session on Kosovo could be brought forward," the statement said.

Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić is due to open official talks over the resolution’s text with party leaders in parliament today, announced Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulić.

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and New Serbia had asked a new provision to be inserted into the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU guaranteeing and respecting Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, before agreeing to sign the document.

DSS MP Miloš Aligrudić explained yesterday at a meeting in Kruševac that the party would attempt to define key principles of national policy with its coalition partners in the next few days.

According to Aligrudić, positions need to be agreed upon concerning the attacks from abroad, particularly from certain EU member-states who are calling for a Union mission to be sent to Kosovo, bypassing the UN Security Council.

Another matter are relations with the U.S. and NATO who, as he put it, wish to legitimize the annexation of one part of Serbia that an occupying force usurped through bombing.

The DSS’s coalition partner Velimir Ilić claims that the session on Kosovo on December 28 will be historic and that President Boris Tadić will have to decide there how Serbia is to join the EU – with Kosovo, or without it.

“We want to join the EU, but honorably, as a sovereign state, not on our knees, with a part of our territory snatched away from us by the EU,” said Ilić.

Radicals threat

Parliament's debate on amendments to the draft law on changes to the privatization bill had been under threat of obstruction earlier.

On the agenda was a proposal envisaging the end of the privatization process by the end of 2008 for which 36 amendments have been submitted, of which 23 have been considered thus far.

However, at the beginning of the session, some opposition MPs, calling on the Rulebook, demanded an immediate debate on Kosovo.

Serb Radical Party (SRS) official Dragan Todorović announced that his party would obstruct the parliament’s work if the debate did not begin by Wednesday, December 26.

“Unless the Kosovo debate gets under way by Wednesday, the SRS will obstruct the parliament’s work and will do nothing else until we receive a draft proposal, otherwise we will formulate that proposal ourselves,” said Todorović during the session.

The MP explained that SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolić had spoken with Parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulić, and that they had agreed that immediately after the UN Security Council session the negotiating team should submit its report on the talks, and that parliament should adopt a new resolution.

He said that the Radicals had asked for the session on Kosovo to be held today and said that it was unacceptable for it to be postponed until Friday, December 28, as this was the last day before the New Year holidays.

Under the proposed amendments to the privatization bill, companies that have still not been bought by the end of next year would find strategic partners by being sold through receivership.

Under another amendment, in the event of a tender winner pulling out a deal subsequently, rather than calling a second tender, consultations would then begin with the second placed bidder.

Dinkić: SAA as soon as possible

G17 Plus President Mlađan Dinkić says that the party opposes anyone who seeks to obstruct Serbia’s path to the EU.

At a session of the party’s main board, Dinkić said there was no alternative to Serbia’s speedy integration

“If, in the event of an unfavorable outcome to the Kosovo crisis, our decision was fatalistic, we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot. G17 Plus is against any kind of delays, and feels the SAA should be signed as soon as possible. Anything else would be irresponsible, utterly pointless spite and defeatist policy,” said the G17 Plus leader.