TIRANA, April 2 – Kosova’s main political parties have not taken steps toward a possible agreement to elect a new president, despite a one-month deadline set by the Constitutional Court.
The court gave lawmakers 34 days to choose the country’s next president, warning that failure would trigger early elections within 45 days. Current President Vjosa Osmani’s term ends on 4 April, giving legislators until 28 April to appoint her successor. Since the court ruling, seven days have passed without any public steps toward an agreement.
Sources within the Democratic Party of Kosova and the Democratic League of Kosova confirmed they have not received invitations from Prime Minister Albin Kurti of the ruling Vetëvendosje [Self-Determination] party. The Democratic Party is organizing a meeting of its Steering Council to determine an official stance. Kurti previously said he would invite party leaders after internal consultations but provided no timeline.
Political analyst Dritëro Arifi suggested Vetëvendosje [Self-Determination] should withdraw its presidential candidates, Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Mullhaxha-Kollçaku, to create space for serious negotiations. He said early signals and technical withdrawals could enable compromise-based discussions. Previous attempts to elect a president failed due to lack of agreement and quorum, leaving both candidates without a vote.
Lawmakers must secure two-thirds of votes in the first two rounds, or 61 votes in the third, with 80 MPs present to hold a session. Vetëvendosje MP Artan Abrashi said the party is willing to seek compromise, while Democratic League leader Lumir Abdixhiku stressed that responsibility rests with the parliamentary majority but expressed readiness for serious solutions.
If no president is elected by 4 April, Assembly Chair Albulena Haxhiu will assume the role temporarily. Analyst Arifi noted that the ruling party may be using timing strategically, either to apply pressure or delay setting a date for early elections.
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