Skopje, 27 August 2024 (MIA) - Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said Tuesday the no confidence motion against him lacks political arguments.

Referring to recent media reports about him and the allegations included in the no confidence motion, Gashi said he hadn’t violated the country’s secularity and he hadn’t told anyone to breach international or domestic laws.

As Speaker, he said, the goal is to change the perception of Parliament being a voting machine. Speaking at a press briefing, the first one since taking office, Gashi said the lawmakers will seek answers and accountability from ministers and officials also vowing that cooperation with the civil sector will be boosted. 

The no confidence motion is set to be discussed at a September 3 session in Parliament.

“I’m glad that the motion will be discussed and the allegations included there will be clarified for the public. We will be open toward every initiative, we will honor the rules of procedures and I hope facts will be presented before the plenum decides. I believe the majority will make a just decision. Whatever it will be, I will honor it,” stated Gashi. 

“I’ve never told anyone to break any law,” he told the press when asked about the airport incident involving the Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and his private trip to Kosovo using official state vehicles.

Asked why in a private visit to Kosovo he was transported there in an official state vehicle, Gashi insisted that as speaker he should be always driven in a state vehicle as a security measure.

“We all want a little bit of a private life. Unfortunately, for this private event I had to be driven there in a state vehicle,” he said, falling short of revealing how many people travelled to Kosovo in the state vehicle with him to a wedding reception. 

Regarding the airport incident involving Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Gashi said she had called him. “From a moral point of view, I personally and the Parliament security staff member prevented an incident at the airport. The Interior Ministry will respect the law against those who overstepped their jurisdictions,” he said adding he had decided against going to the airport himself after he had been informed that the dispute had been settled. 

The Speaker fell short of saying when the constitutional changes could be passed in Parliament, noting the legislative house will play a proactive role in the process.

“As regards the start of this process, it depends on the political structures and not only those in our country. It is a multilateral issue. As soon as a solution arises, I hope the procedure will launch in line with the law and the Constitution and the rule of procedures of this assembly,” said Gashi. 

On coming activities of the Parliament, he said sessions have been already scheduled on September 3 and 11. Three to four sessions a month will take place – on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Mondays will be reserved for coordination and Fridays for MPs’ meetings with citizens. 

Photo: MIA