Opposition lawmakers released tear gas Monday in Kosovo's
parliament as they once again tried to pressure the government into renouncing
deals with Serbia and Montenegro.
Clouds of smoke from two tear gas canisters forced
lawmakers out of the debating chamber.
The parliamentary session restarted later in another room
with most opposition lawmakers barred from entering. It had to be temporarily
suspended again when another tear gas canister was opened there too, after four
opposition lawmakers were let in.
An opposition political party, the Alliance for Kosovo's
Future, said one of its lawmakers, Pal Lekaj, was arrested, allegedly for using
tear gas.
Meanwhile, police dispersed about 150 opposition
supporters throwing stones and paint outside parliament. Windows were broken
and some were covered in red paint. There were no reports of any injuries.
Three protesters were arrested.
Clashes continued in other streets in the capital where
at least one protester was arrested. Six cars were damaged and one of them
burnt, police said, adding protesters tried to block streets with garbage
containers.
Over the past three months, the opposition has blocked
Kosovo's parliament with tear gas, pepper spray, whistles and water bottles to
protest the deals and their supporters have held violent protests in Pristina.
One of the deals gives more powers to ethnic Serbs in
Kosovo while the other demarcates the border with Montenegro.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, an act
that Serbia still rejects. The two countries have been holding European
Union-mediated talks to overcome their differences.
U.S. Ambassador Greg Delawie, who was at parliament,
criticized Monday's incident.
He repeated the warning from U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry, who visited two weeks ago, that parliament is "where meaningful
debates on public policy are conducted, where people can listen to each other
peacefully."
If the government refuses to halt the deals, the
opposition wants a referendum on the issues or a new election. The government,
the president and the international community have called for dialogue.
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