Kosovo's opposition paralysed the functioning of parliament Friday by releasing tear gas for the third session running in a bid to get agreements with Serbia overturned.
The chamber filled with fumes and the parliamentary speaker was forced to suspend the session after an opposition MP opened a tear gas canister, an AFP reporter at the scene saw.
"We will do anything to block the work of parliament," said Glauk Konjufca, deputy president of the Self-Determination party, which leads the opposition.
"The government is provoking a crisis by insisting on calling sessions. This only further escalates the situation."
A few hours later, the opposition prevented another government attempt to reconvene the assembly as it released more tear gas in the chamber.
Some 100 police officers had been brought in to divide opposition from the ruling coalition's MPs, in an atmosphere of high tension.
At the same time, anti-riot police used teargas to disperse some 200 supporters of Self-Determination who protested outside the parliament and were throwing stones and firecrackers at the police.
The opposition wants to thwart EU-brokered dialogue and agreements with Serbia, particularly a plan to set up an association of Serb-run municipalities giving greater autonomy to Kosovo's Serb minority.
It says the initiative will deepen Kosovo's ethnic divide and increase Serbia's influence.
It also rejects a border agreement with neighbouring Montenegro in August, which it says led to a loss of territory.
Kosovo, whose population is predominantly ethnic Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade does not recognise the split.
The latest protest came a day after the European Union (EU) said it will sign a long-awaited accord next week with Kosovo on closer ties which could open the way to its membership of the bloc.
Opposition MPs smuggled the tear gas canisters into parliament despite tight security aimed at preventing a recurrence of anarchic scenes from recent weeks, which have been condemned by the government and international observers in Kosovo.
The protesters have also blown whistles and thrown eggs in a bid to disrupt sessions.
Kosovo and Serbia were at war in 1998-1999, which ended after Serbian armed forces withdrew from the territory following an 11-week NATO bombing campaign.
The public prosecutor's office said last week that it had started investigations against two members of the Self-Determination party over allegations of causing danger and using weapons in relation to the first tear gas incident.
Kosovo’s opposition paralysed the functioning of parliament Friday by releasing tear gas for the third session running in a bid to get agreements with Serbia overturned.
The chamber filled with fumes and the parliamentary speaker was forced to suspend the session after an opposition MP opened a tear gas canister, an AFP reporter at the scene saw.
“We will do anything to block the work of parliament,” said Glauk Konjufca, deputy president of the Self-Determination party, which leads the opposition.
“The government is provoking a crisis by insisting on calling sessions. This only further escalates the situation.”
A few hours later, the opposition prevented another government attempt to reconvene the assembly as it released more tear gas in the chamber.
Some 100 police officers had been brought in to divide opposition from the ruling coalition’s MPs, in an atmosphere of high tension.
At the same time, anti-riot police used teargas to disperse some 200 supporters of Self-Determination who protested outside the parliament and were throwing stones and firecrackers at the police.
The opposition wants to thwart EU-brokered dialogue and agreements with Serbia, particularly a plan to set up an association of Serb-run municipalities giving greater autonomy to Kosovo’s Serb minority.
It says the initiative will deepen Kosovo’s ethnic divide and increase Serbia’s influence.
It also rejects a border agreement with neighbouring Montenegro in August, which it says led to a loss of territory.
Kosovo, whose population is predominantly ethnic Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade does not recognise the split.
The latest protest came a day after the European Union (EU) said it will sign a long-awaited accord next week with Kosovo on closer ties which could open the way to its membership of the bloc.
Opposition MPs smuggled the tear gas canisters into parliament despite tight security aimed at preventing a recurrence of anarchic scenes from recent weeks, which have been condemned by the government and international observers in Kosovo.
The protesters have also blown whistles and thrown eggs in a bid to disrupt sessions.
Kosovo and Serbia were at war in 1998-1999, which ended after Serbian armed forces withdrew from the territory following an 11-week NATO bombing campaign.
The public prosecutor’s office said last week that it had started investigations against two members of the Self-Determination party over allegations of causing danger and using weapons in relation to the first tear gas incident.
