The European Union has expressed regret that political parties in Kosovo failed to identify a unifying figure for the position of president, leading the country to organize its third election in less than a year and a half.
An EU spokesperson told Radio Free Europe that the bloc has continuously urged all political actors to ensure institutional stability.
“It is urgent for Kosovo to strengthen inter-party dialogue in order to ensure the effective functioning of institutions and to avoid missing opportunities that benefit citizens, including those from the Growth Plan,” the spokesperson said.
Members of the Kosovo Assembly failed to elect a new president within the constitutional deadline and, based on the latest ruling of the Constitutional Court, the Assembly was dissolved on April 28.
Now, the acting president, Albulena Haxhiu, following a meeting with political parties scheduled for today, will have to announce the date of the elections, which must be held within 45 days.
There are only two possible dates for the elections: May 31 and June 7.
On the night of April 27, the ruling Vetëvendosje party withdrew its two candidates, Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Mulhaxha Kollçaku, and less than an hour later presented two new presidential candidates, both human rights activists: Feride Rushiti and Hatixhe Hoxha.
However, opposition parties did not attend the plenary session that began on the evening of April 27 and ended at midnight on April 28, which was also the final deadline for electing the president.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who is also leader of Vetëvendosje, said he had made efforts to reach an agreement with opposition parties, but without success.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) demanded the right to propose its own candidate for president, while being criticized by Vetëvendosje for a lack of transparency.
Meanwhile, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) opposed the idea that one party—specifically Vetëvendosje—should control the three main state institutions: the Government, the Assembly, and the Presidency.
Kurti said he had offered the LDK participation in the government or the position of Speaker of Parliament, but the offer was rejected. A similar offer was made to the PDK, but its leader, Bedri Hamza, described it as unserious, stating that there had been no formal invitation for talks.
Kurti later asked the PDK and LDK to propose three non-partisan candidates for president, offering Vetëvendosje’s support, but the opposition rejected this idea as well, calling it unserious and unacceptable.
The April 28 deadline followed a March 5 session initiated by Vetëvendosje to vote on Konjufca and Kollçaku, which was interrupted due to a lack of quorum.
A day later, former president Vjosa Osmani issued a decree for new elections. However, the decision was challenged in the Constitutional Court by the Kosovo Government. The court ruled that MPs had 34 days to elect Osmani’s successor.
Osmani completed her five-year term on April 4, and according to the Constitution, Speaker of Parliament Albulena Haxhiu assumed the role of acting president.
Under the Constitution, the President of Kosovo is elected with a two-thirds majority in the first two rounds or with 61 votes in the third round, provided that at least 80 MPs are present in the session.
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