The main political parties in Kosovo have yet to make any move toward reaching a possible agreement on the election of the country’s new president, even though the one-month deadline set by the Constitutional Court is already underway.
Last week, the Constitutional Court gave lawmakers 34 days to elect the head of state; otherwise, the country would face early elections to be held within 45 days.
The mandate of the current president, Vjosa Osmani, ends on April 4, and lawmakers now have until April 28 to appoint her successor.
However, seven days have passed since the court ruling, and no public steps have been seen toward finding a solution or reaching an agreement on the presidency.
Sources from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) within the two largest opposition parties, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), confirmed that they have not yet received a meeting invitation from Prime Minister Albin Kurti, leader of the ruling Vetëvendosje Movement.
PDK stated that it is organizing a meeting of its Steering Council, where “the party’s official positions on political developments in the country will be determined.”
“After this internal process, PDK will issue a clear and unified stance on the next steps,” said an official from the party.
Two days ago, Prime Minister Kurti announced that he would send invitations to the political party leaders but did not specify when. He added that this would be done after “internal consultations,” without providing further details.
“How important it is to act urgently is as important as achieving success. In the end, we are not measured by the efforts we make, but by the success we achieve,” Kurti emphasized on March 30.
Political analyst Dritëro Arifi told RFE/RL that Vetëvendosje should withdraw its two proposed presidential candidates, Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Mullhaxha-Kollçaku, to create space for discussions with other parties.
“The essence is whether they will send preliminary signals, as I said, by withdrawing those candidates. They should technically ‘resign,’ creating room for more serious negotiations,” Arifi said, adding that this would allow discussions to take place in a spirit of compromise.
The election of the new president failed at the beginning of last month precisely due to a lack of agreement among parties. Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Kollçaku-Mullhaxha were not even put to a vote due to the absence of a quorum.
The President of Kosovo is elected by a two-thirds majority in the first two rounds or with 61 votes in the third round, but 80 deputies must be present for the session to take place.
Vetëvendosje MP Artan Abrashi said on Wednesday that the presidential election depends on the meetings that will be held. According to him, Vetëvendosje has the “will and readiness” to find a compromise.
“I hope that (opposition party representatives) will respond positively and that Kosovo will overcome this unnecessary crisis, which risks leading us to elections—again, I emphasize, unnecessary,” Abrashi told the news agency EkonomiaOnline.
Following the publication of the Constitutional Court’s ruling, LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku said that the main responsibility for the presidential issue lies with the parliamentary majority.
“LDK remains ready to contribute to any serious effort for a solution that guarantees stability and normal functioning of institutions. At the same time, it will not serve as an alibi for anyone’s failures,” he said.
If a new president is not elected by April 4, the duties of the president will be exercised by the Speaker of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu.
According to the Constitution, the acting president cannot hold office for more than six months. Political analyst Arifi sees Haxhiu taking on the role as one reason why Vetëvendosje is delaying discussions with opposition parties on the presidential election.
Although all political parties declare they are ready for elections, the timing may favor one side over the other.
“I think in this case the ruling party is playing with the element of time to create pressure, but perhaps also to delay the setting of a date for early elections,” Arifi said.
