76 MPs voted in favor of a resolution that would halt holding the Serbian referendum in Kosovo in the first plenary session held for this year upon a request made by the government.

The eight resolutions adopted are as follow:

1. The referendum undermines the sovereignty and the constitutional order of Kosovo and runs counter to the Constitution, Kosovo laws, and international norms.
2. The Assembly calls on the government and relevant institutions to undertake the necessary actions to prevent the violation of the sovereignty and constitutional order through the referendum of a foreign state in the territory of Kosovo.
3. The Assembly reiterates the commitment of Kosovo in guaranteeing and defending the rights of all its citizens in compliance with the laws and Constitution.
4. The right of citizens with dual citizenship to exercise their right to vote is noted.
5. Opening Serbian polling stations in the territory of Kosovo and the involvement of illegal structures in this activity constitutes a violation of the laws and the Constitution of Kosovo and international practices.
6. The Assembly stands against Serbia’s continuous actions in instrumentalizing and exploiting Kosovo Serbs at the service of its hostile policies against Kosovo.
7. The Assembly welcomes the firm stance of the international community on the rule of law in Kosovo.
8. The Assembly remains committed to providing its contribution to the defense of constitutional order and the rights of citizens.

Two opposition parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo endorsed the resolution.

The session began with a minute of silence in commemoration of the 45 victims of the Racak Massacre.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo did not attend this session.

The leader of Kosovo’s Democrats, Memli Krasniqi, criticized PM Albin Kurti for staging the extraordinary session instead of fully fledging his competencies and preventing the Serbian referendum from being held in the territory of Kosovo.

“Why should the Assembly convene and discuss more on the topic? Is it to reiterate the stance to each other? Or is it to dodge the responsibility from the government to the assembly? If that’s the goal, then the prime minister is scared as it is the government’s competence to stop the referendum”, wrote Krasniqi on Facebook.

While the Serb List walked out of the plenary session shortly after it began.

President Vjosa Osmani, PM Albin Kurti, and parliament speaker Glauk Konjufca issued a joint statement on Friday after meeting with the ambassadors of Quint countries. They reiterated their stance against a Serbian referendum in Kosovo.

According to them, having Serb citizens vote in ballot boxes in the territory of Kosovo runs counter to the laws of the Constitution and international practices. Furthermore, they add that it violates the territorial integrity of the country.

The heads of state told ambassadors that dual Serb citizens will have their right to vote in compliance with international standards and practices, such as mail-in ballots or at the liaison office in Pristina.

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