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Kosovo court bill stalls as the presidential deadline approaches

Kosovo’s parliament approved restrictions on a Hague-based war crimes court at a first reading but adjourned before the final vote. Police used tear gas against protesters outside. The opposition has tied support for electing a president to passage of the bill, with the constitutional deadline falling on 6 October.

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Adults face the entrance of a civic building flying the Kosovo flag, with a burgundy-coated woman in the foreground and autumn trees around them.

A first vote leaves the court changes unfinished

Kosovo’s parliament ended its 5 October session before a second vote on restrictions to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the internationally staffed war crimes court based in The Hague. Lawmakers had approved the amendments at a first reading earlier that day. The proposal would cap prison sentences at 15 years, allow prisoners to serve their terms in Kosovo and permit appeals to Kosovo’s Supreme Court. The first vote did not put those changes into effect.[1], [2]

Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside parliament in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, demanding completion of the bill. They included veterans and supporters of the former Kosovo Liberation Army, the ethnic Albanian force that fought Serbian troops. Some tried to prevent lawmakers from leaving. Fireworks were thrown, and police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.[1], [2]

The presidential vote is tied to the bill

The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo sponsored the amendments and made its support for electing a president conditional on their passage. Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s governing Vetevendosje, or Self-Determination Movement, wants the presidential vote first. The constitutional deadline is 6 October. Failure to elect a president by then would trigger parliament’s dissolution and another early parliamentary election, leaving the order of the two votes at the centre of the deadlock.[1], [2]

Kurti supported allowing the court bill to proceed but said the amendments had been prepared hastily. He also said the appeals process should be used to challenge the recent convictions. His support at the initial legislative stage therefore came alongside criticism of how the changes had been drawn up.[1], [2]

September convictions preceded the proposed restrictions

The bill followed September war crimes convictions of former President Hashim Thaci and three other former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders. Thaci received a 25-year prison sentence. Established in 2015, the Specialist Chambers operate outside Kosovo. The proposed sentencing ceiling and domestic appeals route would alter the framework in which those cases are handled, while Kurti has urged challenges through the appeals process.[1], [2]

References

  1. News sourceRFE/RLKosovo court bill becomes entangled with presidential deadline↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5
  2. News sourceAl JazeeraPolice clash with protesters after Kosovo parliament adjourns before second vote↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5
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