Kosovo’s opposition parties warned yet again, this time after meeting with President Atifete Jahjaga, that they will continue blocking the workings of parliament unless Prime Minister Isa Mustafa withdraws his signature from the recent EU-backed deal with Serbia, local media reported on October 20.

The move seems to have further deepened the political crisis in Kosovo, with the opposition boycotting parliament and the recent violent behaviour of opposition lawmakers, including tear gas attacks in parliament and throwing eggs at Mustafa.

The meeting with opposition leaders was initiated by Jahjaga, who also met with Mustafa and heads of state institutions on October 19 as part of efforts to overcome the political crisis. Opposition parties are against the recently signed agreements with Serbia which, among other things, give more rights to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

The heads of the opposition parties Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Vetevendosje (Self-Determination), Ramush Haradinaj and Visar Ymeri, respectively, said that they will not step back from their demands. The opposition party Initiative for Kosovo is also on the same line.

Haradinaj said that if the governing coalition schedules another parliament session it will consider it a provocation. Oppostion lawmakers staged a second tear gas attack during the last session on October 15. 

Meanwhile, the parliamentary press office invited political parties to attend the next session of the assembly on October 23. The sitting government and the president say that the opposition is using undemocratic means in order to try to come to power.