Kosovo's New Social Democrats Reach Out to Govt

The opposition Social Democratic Party, PSD, led by MPs who left the opposition Vetevendosje party in March, is getting closer to the ruling coalition, analysts say - driven by its criticism of the latter's approach to the EU-led talks with Serbia.

The PSD has prepared a resolution on the stalled dialogue with Serbia, which foresees the involvement of both the opposition and civil society groups in the government's negotiating team with Belgrade.

If the two other opposition parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, and Vetevendosje, are not part of it, PSD leader Shpend Ahmeti would co-lead the negotiating team, he said in an interview with KTV's TV Rubikon show on Tuesday.

Ahmeti added that he was ready to take on such a responsibility.

"We are talking about a process that is most important for Kosovo's statehood, and I think that everyone's input is important," he said.

Agron Halitaj, a political analyst in Pristina, told BIRN that the PSD is now trying to take a different path from the LDK and Vetevendosje.

"The PSD may claim it opposes the structures now ruling the state, but its actions in parliament actually favour the ruling coalition," Halitaj said.

PSD spokesperson Natyra Kuci told BIRN that the participation of the PSD in the state's negotiating delegation would obviously depend on whether its draft resolution is adopted.

"When it comes to the state delegation, it foresees co-leadership of the negotiating team between government and opposition, as well as their proportional representation," Kuci said.

PSD parliamentary group chief Dardan Sejdiu recently complained that the LDK and Vetevendosje were just "complaining" about the process of the dialogue with Serbia rather than offering constructive...