As the Kosovo opposition party Vetevendosje (LVV) warned, its MPs did not allow the continuation of the parliamentary session when deputy Prime Minister, Driton Selmanaj entered the hall on Friday.
Vetendosje’s MPs started shouting “out” and made the legislative body go on a break.
Parliament members of Vetevendosje had previously said that they would not allow the continuation of any parliamentary session where Selmanaj will be present, after assessing his statements on the missing persons from the war as insulting.
Commenting in a heated debate in the Parliament between MPs of the ruling Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Vetevendosje on the missing person issue, Selmanaj said that they “were tired of this approach” from the MPs. He claimed that Vetevendosje was using the issue for political points.
Selmanaj, who comes from LDK, stated during an interview for Prishtina-based TV T7 that Vetevendosje’s MP, Saranda Bogujevci was “abusing the issue extremely”.
This statement sparked reactions by politicians, civil society and many others protecting Bogujevci who herself is a survivor of a massacre in Podujeva, where among the 14 victims shot dead, were her family members. The youngest victim of a Serb paramilitary unit was a 2 year old. Bogujevci who was 13 at the time was shot 16 times, but survived.
Vetevendosje insists on their demand for Selmanaj’s dismissal.
LDK MP Arben Gashi said during a conference that Vetevendosjes’ reaction in Parliament constituted violent behavior.
“The actions we saw today had the potential for violence. If they have any objections to any of the members of the Government, the Constitution provides for democratic mechanisms of action such as the motion of no confidence, which can be issued against the Government as a whole or against any individual in particular,” Gashi told media.
“Violent behavior and the inability to hold a [parliamentary] hearing is unacceptable,” he added.
On the other side, Abelard Tahiri, an MP from the other opposition party, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) told media that they will take all the necessary steps for the dissolution of parliament to happen as soon as possible.
