Kosovars Bang Pots To Get Government To Work Together

Residents of Kosovo's capital, Pristina, protested against their government's latest political crisis by banging on pots and pans from their balconies. Organizers of the protest called on people to make noise on March 19 as a signal to politicians to solve their differences, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic. A partner in Kosovo’s ruling coalition said it plans to seek a no-confidence vote in parliament against the government in the coming days, potentially engulfing the small Balkan nation in a political crisis even as it battles the rapidly spreading disease. The country's interior minister was dismissed earlier this week, purportedly for spreading panic after he backed a presidential call for a state of emergency over the pandemic. President Hashim Thaci signed a decree on March 17 declaring a state of emergency over the health crisis. But Prime Minister Albin Kurti rejected the move, saying it would cause “unnecessary panic.”