Kosovo opposition lawmakers block Parliament with tear gas

ASSOCIATED PRESS Opposition lawmaker wipes his eyes after releasing a tear gas canister disrupting a parliamentary session in Kosovo capital Pristina on Friday Feb. 19, 2016.

Opposition lawmakers have again let off tear gas in Kosovo’s Parliament.

As the harmful gas circled through the chamber, police officers escorted the protesting members of parliament out of the chamber.

The session eventually resumed in the afternoon, but no sooner had it started than it was again disrupted as a tear gas canister was released.

Two attempts to restart the session failed as they came up against more tear gas and 18 lawmakers were banned from the chamber, four of them forcibly removed by police.

Veseli said the session will resume, despite the problems.

They have kept up their protests since the government signed an EU-brokered accord with Serbia in August giving the Serb community a greater say over local government decisions and raising the possibility of financing from Belgrade.

It fears the plan will deepen Kosovo’s ethnic divisions and increase the influence of Serbia, which does not recognise Kosovo’s sovereignty.

Opposition lawmakers said they are determined not to allow normal operations at the Parliament, demanding the government’s resignation and fresh elections.

Street protesters have also accused the authorities of widespread corruption, lagging development and a disregard for Muslim-majority Kosovo’s 1.8 million people. The opposition has been calling on the government to resign and for parliamentary elections to be held in March or April.

Thaci himself described the chaotic scenes inside as “a continuation of the primitive and ugly behaviour” of the opposition. U.S. Ambassador to Pristina Greg Delawie said Friday he was “disgusted” by the actions of Kosovo opposition leaders.

Over the past few months, the opposition has used various violent methods – including pepper spray, whistles, and water bottles – to force the government to tear up the agreements.