Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stated that the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo must deliver the final word on whether the country should go to new elections, arguing that the presidential decree dissolving the Assembly is not constitutional.
Commenting on the decree issued by President Vjosa Osmani, who dissolved the Assembly after the failure to elect a president by March 5, Kurti said the constitutional procedure had not yet been completed, since the process had not reached the third round of voting, which he says is the condition that would automatically trigger new elections.
“It is clear that the dissolution of the Assembly is linked to the completion of the voting procedure and the failure of the third vote. Last night we only began the first round. There is a 60-day deadline to elect a president, while last night we had only 60 minutes,” Kurti said.
According to him, the Constitution requires that the third round of voting must fail before the Assembly can be dissolved and preparations for new elections begin.
“To avoid a blockage, the Constitution sets a maximum limit of 60 days to elect a president. If the president is not elected within that timeframe, then dissolution becomes relevant. If the date were May 5, it would make sense to start the process. The decree to dissolve the Assembly and call elections is therefore not constitutional,” Kurti added.
The dispute between the government and the presidency is now expected to be clarified by a ruling from the Constitutional Court, which has already received requests related to the constitutionality of the presidential election process.
