A session carrying heavy political weight and a tense protest outside the Assembly marked the day’s developments in Kosovo. Lawmakers approved in principle the draft law amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, while outside the building protesters insistently demanded its passage.
91 votes in favor on first reading
The draft law was approved on first reading by the Assembly of Kosovo with 91 votes in favor, in an extraordinary session attended by 101 lawmakers.
Before going to the plenary hall, the initiative was reviewed by the Committee on Legislation, where it received 9 votes in favor and none against. The way was then cleared for consideration in the Assembly.
Absences and non-voting in the chamber
The Serb List was not present at the session. Lawmakers from the Democratic League of Kosovo were in the chamber, but did not take part in the procedural vote that served to bypass deadlines and procedures that would have sent the draft law to another session.
This procedural detail carried political weight, as the law was pushed forward at a sensitive moment, amid strong debates over the Specialist Chambers and the unstable institutional climate in the country.
Tensions in the protest in front of the Assembly
Outside the Assembly building, KLA war veterans protested, organized by the KLA War Veterans Organization. The gathering began in front of parliament and escalated during the session.
During lawmakers’ speeches, pyrotechnic devices were thrown, increasing tensions in the area around the Assembly. The clash between the institutional debate inside the chamber and the pressure of the protest outside turned the issue into a direct political test for the majority and the opposition.
Kurti: the changes were made in haste
Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti said during the session that the changes to the law had been undertaken in haste, but said that Vetëvendosje would support them. According to him, the KLA’s war was just and “there can be no trial for the KLA.”
Kurti also linked the debate to the proceedings in The Hague against former KLA leaders. According to his political version, “the address of victory is the appeal,” while he called for a state and national strategy that does not operate on a party basis.
He added that implementing such a strategy requires Kosovo to have functional institutions, a president and a stable government. His statement shifted the debate from the specific law to the broader political and institutional crisis.
In the background, the deadlock over the president
Alongside the vote on the draft law, the issue of electing a new president in Kosovo also remains open. Lawmakers have the dates of October 5 and 6 available for this process.
If the election fails, the country risks heading to snap elections. Kurti also said that during the day he would meet PDK leader Bedri Hamza, without giving details about the topics of the talks.
The approval in principle of the draft law on the Specialist Chambers placed the Assembly before a sensitive legal and political issue, while the protest outside the building showed that the debate is not taking place only in the parliamentary chamber.
Amid the votes in favor, tensions on the ground and the deadlock over institutions, today in Kosovo highlighted how fragile the balance remains between political decision-making and the crises that accompany it.