Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said on Monday that the country must head toward new elections, a day after he failed to secure the necessary support in the Assembly for a third mandate.
“As we saw yesterday, there is no other way forward except for new elections. It was not our preference,” Kurti stated during a press conference in Prishtina.
Only 56 deputies voted in favor of Kurti’s proposed cabinet during Sunday’s session — five votes short of the required 61. Fifty-two voted against, while four abstained.
According to Kosovo’s Constitution, it is now up to President Vjosa Osmani to appoint another mandate-holder to form the government within 10 days.
However, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, rejected the possibility of becoming the next mandate-holder, even if President Osmani were to invite him to do so, saying his party does not have the necessary majority.
Political analysts suggest that early parliamentary elections could slightly change party results, but not enough to eliminate the need for coalition-building in future governance.
