Kosovo deputy minister dismissed over quarrel in parliament

PRISTINA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci dismissed Monday Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Naser Osmani, only hours after he quarreled with a government minister of the ruling coalition during a parliament session.

Thaci made this decision "based on the constitution of Kosovo, article 94," said a statement from Thaci's office.

This article of the new constitution, which took effect on June15, describes the prime minister's mandate and says the head of the government "may change members of the government without the consent of the Assembly."

The incident happened on Monday parliament session when Transport and Telecommunication Minister Fatmir Limaj was wanted to justify a decision on behalf of the government in absence of the prime minister and his deputies.

Osmani reacted to his appearance, claiming Limaj had no right to speak on behalf of the government.

Both Limaj and Osmani are also members of parliament and members of two main parties forming Kosovo coalition government. The two exchanged insults to each other and other MPs reacted to avoid their quarrel.

The speaker of the parliament stopped the session, and bodyguards intervened in the parliament hall to avoid further incidents.

Limaj is vice president of Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which is the main party in the ruling coalition. Osmani is member of the junior coalition partner Democratic League of Kosovo(LDK) of late President Ibrahim Rugova.

The clashes between the two governing parties have become more frequent with an increasing number of LDK deputies querying the government's decisions. However, both parties deny that the coalition is in crisis.

Senior officials of the LDK said Osmani's dismissal from the government didn't jeopardize the existence of the ruling coalition.

The coalition government PDK-LDK was formed in January 2008, despite strong oppositions from the wide membership of both parties due to the enmity they inherited from late 1990s before and during the war period in Kosovo.