Committee on Kosovo votes on government report

Serbian parliament's Committee on Kosovo discussed Tuesday the government report on steps taken to stabilize the situation in Kosovo in the past three months. It remained unclear at the end of the meeting whether there was a quorum necessary for its adoption. Committee on Kosovo votes on government report Committee Chairman Ljubomir Kragovic, of the Serb Radical Party (SRS), finished the meeting by urging MPs not to vote in favor of the report, even though he did not previously make sure there was a quorum, as requested by his deputy, Dejan Radenkovic of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). Eight members of the opposition supported Kragovic's proposal and one abstained, while MPs from the ruling coalition left the meeting. In a debate which lasted over three hours, committee members from the ranks of the opposition criticized the government's quarterly report saying it did not reflect the real situation in Kosovo, and voiced support for the referendum in northern Kosovo. Responding to the criticism, Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said this meeting was "among the worst to date" and "has shown what Serbs in Kosovo are afraid of - lack of unity and arbitrary judgment." According to him, no concrete objections were made against the report, but the meeting was used for personal and party promotion and "slinging mud at the government and the Serbian president." "This report is not harmful nor does it in any way degrade the Serb people in Kosovo. All the critics who spoke today about shutting down institutions, about pressures, need to argument their claims and say what moves the government has made to shut down institutions," Bogdanovic noted. He stressed there was talk of alleged internal pressures related to the referendum and asked to hear what pressures were being referred to. "Are we leading a campaign against the referendum, or have denied funding to anyone? The government has a right to its position, and I as a minister have a right to present it," the minister said. SRS MPs were the most vocal in the discussion, and in an almost hour-long address, Nemanja Sarovic reiterated the party's position that the agreements between Belgrade and Pristina violated the Serbian Constitution. Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) MP Slobodan Samardzic believes the referendum in Kosovo needs to take place to show the Serbs in the north are opposed to the Kosovo institutions and everything the government has agreed with Pristina in Brussels. He criticized Serbian President Boris Tadic's four-point plant, claiming it is "secret, if not non-existent" and that it "supports the rights of Serbs as a minority in a neighboring country." He said these are rights guaranteed to minorities by the Charter and Declaration of the Council of Europe, while the plan itself has been copied from the Ahtisaari plan. Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) MP Bozidar Pelevic criticized the agreements reached in the dialogue, saying they are detrimental to Serbs and beneficial to Albanians. Democratic Party (DS) MP from Kosovo Dragisa Djokovic also said he believed the referendum should be held. The meeting of the committee (Beta) Tanjug

Committee on Kosovo votes on government report

Committee Chairman Ljubomir Kragović, of the Serb Radical Party (SRS), finished the meeting by urging MPs not to vote in favor of the report, even though he did not previously make sure there was a quorum, as requested by his deputy, Dejan Radenković of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS).

Eight members of the opposition supported Kragović's proposal and one abstained, while MPs from the ruling coalition left the meeting.

In a debate which lasted over three hours, committee members from the ranks of the opposition criticized the government's quarterly report saying it did not reflect the real situation in Kosovo, and voiced support for the referendum in northern Kosovo.

Responding to the criticism, Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović said this meeting was "among the worst to date" and "has shown what Serbs in Kosovo are afraid of - lack of unity and arbitrary judgment."

According to him, no concrete objections were made against the report, but the meeting was used for personal and party promotion and "slinging mud at the government and the Serbian president."

"This report is not harmful nor does it in any way degrade the Serb people in Kosovo. All the critics who spoke today about shutting down institutions, about pressures, need to argument their claims and say what moves the government has made to shut down institutions," Bogdanović noted.

He stressed there was talk of alleged internal pressures related to the referendum and asked to hear what pressures were being referred to.

"Are we leading a campaign against the referendum, or have denied funding to anyone? The government has a right to its position, and I as a minister have a right to present it," the minister said.

SRS MPs were the most vocal in the discussion, and in an almost hour-long address, Nemanja Šarović reiterated the party's position that the agreements between Belgrade and Priština violated the Serbian Constitution.

Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) MP Slobodan Samardžić believes the referendum in Kosovo needs to take place to show the Serbs in the north are opposed to the Kosovo institutions and everything the government has agreed with Priština in Brussels.

He criticized Serbian President Boris Tadić's four-point plant, claiming it is "secret, if not non-existent" and that it "supports the rights of Serbs as a minority in a neighboring country."

He said these are rights guaranteed to minorities by the Charter and Declaration of the Council of Europe, while the plan itself has been copied from the Ahtisaari plan.

Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) MP Božidar Pelević criticized the agreements reached in the dialogue, saying they are detrimental to Serbs and beneficial to Albanians.

Democratic Party (DS) MP from Kosovo Dragiša Đoković also said he believed the referendum should be held.