Committee on Kosovo wraps up debate on draft

BELGRADE The Serbian Parliamentary Committee on Kosovo and Metohija on Friday held a debate on a draft resolution on Kosovo. The opposition criticized the draft, claiming it was unconstitutional and contradictory. Committee on Kosovo wraps up debate on draft The session was attended by Committee members, president’s advisor Marko Djuric, Serbian government’s Secretary Veljko Odalovic and Education Minister Zarko Obradovic. The Serbian government sent the document to parliament on Thursday. The draft resolution was unanimously adopted at a joint session of the government and President Tomislav Nikolic on Wednesday. The parliamentary session will begin at 11:00 CET on Saturday. The only item on the agenda is the draft resolution. Opposition MPs said today that the draft resolution was unconstitutional, ambiguous, contradictory and not harmonized with interests of Kosovo Serbs and stressed that the document showed differences between the government and the president. Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) MP Slobodan Samardzic said that the draft resolution violated the Serbian Constitution because it mentioned “Serb community in Kosovo” instead of “Serbian citizens” which is the only category the Constitution recognizes. He noted that a part of the resolution stating that Serbia would never recognize Kosovo was “just empty talk”. “A principle that independent Kosovo will never be recognized is just empty talk. The West does not request a formal recognition from Serbia but to hand over Kosovo to Albanians instead,” Samardzic explained. According to the DSS MP, the draft resolution shows a disagreement between the government and the president and an attempt to reach a compromise has led to contradictions in the document. Democratic Party (DS) MP and member of the Committee on Kosovo Borislav Stefanovic stated that the draft resolution did not focus sufficiently on rights of Kosovo Serbs and that it should be fixed. He also added that the draft indicated that there were differences between the government and Nikolic. Stefanovic explained that the president “first came out with a single paper and then all his proposals were rephrased”. “A part condemning EULEX and a part that notes that it is necessary to suspend the dialogue have been left out,” he underscored. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Zoran Ostojic said that the draft resolution was a “rotten compromise” of the ruling coalition. He noted that parliament had adopted 11 resolutions on Kosovo and wondered if Serbia was any closer to solving the Kosovo issue. “We are not any closer to solving the Kosovo issue because all resolutions have represented unity on the wrong policy. The resolution and its rationale are a rotten compromise aimed at patching up a hole in the bucket called the ruling coalition,” the LDP MP said. He reiterated that LDP MPs would not support the draft resolution in parliament on Saturday. Djuric and Obradovic rejected the opposition’s claims that there were any disagreements between the government and the president. Djuric said that the aim of the resolution was to create a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo that would have police and judicial authority and that the resolution would pave the government’s path in further negotiations with Pristina. “The goals of the resolution are not detrimental to any ethnic community in Kosovo,” he explained. Obradovic pointed out that the government and Nikolic were united and that the resolution determined the state policy toward Kosovo. He added that the issue of Kosovo was not a party but state issue and that the document would be binding for everyone once it had been adopted by parliament. The education minister reiterated that the draft resolution had been adopted unanimously by the government and stressed that it contained constitutional solutions and the government’s determination to advocate them, as well as a continuity of the state policy for Kosovo. “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,” Committee on Kosovo Chairman Milovan Drecun said on Thursday. 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. The draft resolution contains six items that the Serbian parliament will use to determine basic principles for political talks with representatives of interim institutions in Pristina and confirm that Serbia, in accordance with the international law, Constitution and citizens’ will, does not and never will recognize Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. (Beta) B92 Beta Tanjug

Committee on Kosovo wraps up debate on draft

The session was attended by Committee members, president’s advisor Marko Đurić, Serbian government’s Secretary Veljko Odalović and Education Minister Žarko Obradović.

The Serbian government sent the document to parliament on Thursday. The draft resolution was unanimously adopted at a joint session of the government and President Tomislav Nikolić on Wednesday.

The parliamentary session will begin at 11:00 CET on Saturday. The only item on the agenda is the draft resolution.

Opposition MPs said today that the draft resolution was unconstitutional, ambiguous, contradictory and not harmonized with interests of Kosovo Serbs and stressed that the document showed differences between the government and the president.

Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) MP Slobodan Samardžić said that the draft resolution violated the Serbian Constitution because it mentioned “Serb community in Kosovo” instead of “Serbian citizens” which is the only category the Constitution recognizes.

He noted that a part of the resolution stating that Serbia would never recognize Kosovo was “just empty talk”.

“A principle that independent Kosovo will never be recognized is just empty talk. The West does not request a formal recognition from Serbia but to hand over Kosovo to Albanians instead,” Samardžić explained.

According to the DSS MP, the draft resolution shows a disagreement between the government and the president and an attempt to reach a compromise has led to contradictions in the document.

Democratic Party (DS) MP and member of the Committee on Kosovo Borislav Stefanović stated that the draft resolution did not focus sufficiently on rights of Kosovo Serbs and that it should be fixed. He also added that the draft indicated that there were differences between the government and Nikolić.

Stefanović explained that the president “first came out with a single paper and then all his proposals were rephrased”.

“A part condemning EULEX and a part that notes that it is necessary to suspend the dialogue have been left out,” he underscored.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) MP Zoran Ostojić said that the draft resolution was a “rotten compromise” of the ruling coalition.

He noted that parliament had adopted 11 resolutions on Kosovo and wondered if Serbia was any closer to solving the Kosovo issue.

“We are not any closer to solving the Kosovo issue because all resolutions have represented unity on the wrong policy. The resolution and its rationale are a rotten compromise aimed at patching up a hole in the bucket called the ruling coalition,” the LDP MP said.

He reiterated that LDP MPs would not support the draft resolution in parliament on Saturday.

Đurić and Obradović rejected the opposition’s claims that there were any disagreements between the government and the president.

Đurić said that the aim of the resolution was to create a community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo that would have police and judicial authority and that the resolution would pave the government’s path in further negotiations with Priština.

“The goals of the resolution are not detrimental to any ethnic community in Kosovo,” he explained.

Obradović pointed out that the government and Nikolić were united and that the resolution determined the state policy toward Kosovo.

He added that the issue of Kosovo was not a party but state issue and that the document would be binding for everyone once it had been adopted by parliament.

The education minister reiterated that the draft resolution had been adopted unanimously by the government and stressed that it contained constitutional solutions and the government’s determination to advocate them, as well as a continuity of the state policy for Kosovo.

“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,” Committee on Kosovo Chairman Milovan Drecun said on Thursday.

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.

The draft resolution contains six items that the Serbian parliament will use to determine basic principles for political talks with representatives of interim institutions in Priština and confirm that Serbia, in accordance with the international law, Constitution and citizens’ will, does not and never will recognize Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence.