Vjosa Osmani is seeking a second term as President of Kosovo, aiming to lead the country for another five years. With fewer than nine days left before the constitutional deadline for the Assembly of Kosovo to either grant her another mandate, elect a different president, or trigger new elections, here’s a breakdown of the voting procedures.
Quorum Requirements
The Kosovo Constitution and the Assembly Rules of Procedure define the quorum and voting requirements for electing the President. These rules have been interpreted differently over time depending on political interests, and the issue has been reviewed by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo on multiple occasions.
- First and Second Rounds:
According to Judgment KO47/16 (Hashim Thaçi case, point 63), for the first and second voting rounds, at least 2/3 of all MPs must be present and vote. With 120 MPs in total, this means 80 MPs must participate for the round to be valid. - Third Round:
If the first two rounds are valid but no candidate has been elected, a third round can be held. In this round, only a simple majority of all MPs is required—61 MPs out of 120.
How Voting Rounds Are Considered Valid
- First Round:
- Requires at least 80 MPs present and voting.
- If this quorum is not met, the round is invalid, and the second round cannot proceed.
- Second Round:
- Also requires 80 MPs present and voting.
- If this quorum is not met, the round is invalid. Only after two valid rounds can the third round occur.
- Third Round:
- Requires a simple majority—61 MPs present and voting.
- This round occurs only if the first and second rounds were validly conducted.
