Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti emphasized that it is the obligation of all deputies, elected on February 9 and sworn in on April 19, to ensure the functionalization of the Assembly by electing the Speaker and five Deputy Speakers.
He recalled that the Constitutional Court has called for good-faith cooperation and compromise among parliamentary groups. Kurti stated that the Vetëvendosje Movement (VV) has made compromise moves to unblock the situation:
- Candidate Withdrawal: The nominated candidate for Speaker would withdraw if they do not receive 61 votes in the committee.
- Political Package Agreement: A political agreement in a package deal, where the opposition could delegate representatives to vote against and overturn the candidate if they disagree with the secret ballot process.
“It is an obligation, a duty of all deputies who emerged from the February 9 elections and were sworn in on April 19. April 19 was the best day for this legislature because it was the moment of opening; there were 120 deputies, and everyone voted. However, these deputies need their home, which is the Assembly. For this to happen, the Speaker and five Deputy Speakers must be elected, as foreseen. It is true that we, as VV, have the main responsibility for forming the government and forming the Assembly, as stated by the Constitutional Court,” Kurti declared.
He further elaborated, “It must be emphasized in this case that the Constitutional Court stressed that the court does not resolve political disputes between parliamentary groups. It mentioned good-faith cooperation, constructive consultation, and compromise. We did both the consultation and the good-faith cooperation, but it was clear that no consensus was reached. As for compromise, we have moved.”
Kurti expressed disappointment that the opposition did not accept either of these options.
“I offered two compromise options on behalf of VV. The first compromise was what Albulena had said: if she does not get 61 votes in the committee, she withdraws from the candidacy. This did not impress the opposition. The second option is to make a political agreement, which is a package agreement, and then, if they do not want the quick vote, to delegate their representatives who can overturn it with a vote,” he added.
