Kosovo
Specialist Chambers law goes back to Parliament: committee has four weeks, 61 votes needed to pass it again
President Justina Shiroka Pula returned the law on the Specialist Chambers at the request of PDK itself. Experts at the IKD explain that the procedure does not start from scratch, but the voting threshold rises.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 23, 2026, 09:34 · Updated 18:39 · 2 min read
In brief
- Shiroka Pula sent the law back to Parliament after PDK, its sponsor, asked for a review of the provisions on jurisdiction.
- According to Naim Jakaj of the IKD, the reporting committee has four weeks, while at least 61 votes are needed to pass it again.
- Abdixhiku said LDK had been labeled “traitors,” while Haradinaj called the return “a great shame.”
The law on the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, passed in haste on Oct. 6 under pressure from protests, has been sent back to Parliament by President Justina Shiroka Pula. The decision came at the request of the bill's own sponsor, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which on Thursday afternoon asked the president to review the provisions on the jurisdiction and mandate of the court in The Hague.
In its reasoning, the Presidency reaffirmed its stance against any attempt to distort the historical truth of Kosovo's war and said Shiroka Pula is continuing consultations on protecting the rights of former KLA leaders on trial in The Hague. PDK clarified that it is seeking a return to Parliament, “not to the government or to start work from scratch,” and expects the law to be passed again in four weeks.
What happens now
Naim Jakaj of the Kosovo Law Institute (IKD) told Radio Free Europe that the return does not kill the law. Under Article 84 of the Constitution, Speaker Albulena Haxhiu forwards it to the responsible committee, which within four weeks prepares its report for the plenary session. A majority of those present is not enough to pass it again: at least 61 votes are required. Jakaj warned that a quick revote without addressing the reasons for the return would undermine the very point of the review.
Reactions
LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku, whose party did not vote for the changes, wrote that his party had been labeled “traitors” and that “the KLA's war is sacred. It is defended with work and with wisdom.” Ramush Haradinaj of the Alliance, which backed the law, called the return “a great shame” and “a heavy blow” for Kosovo.
The Oct. 6 amendments limit the Specialist Chambers' jurisdiction to the period from July 1, 1999, to Dec. 31, 2000, and to crimes allegedly committed on Kosovo's territory, cut the maximum sentence to 15 years and open the way for presidential pardons. The EU has raised concerns about Kosovo's international obligations. The law followed the Sept. 16 first-instance convictions of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.
