The Central Election Commission in Kosovo now has just over a month to prepare and organize new early parliamentary elections—the third such elections within roughly a year and a half.
The new elections come after the Assembly failed to elect a new president within the deadline, plunging the country into a new political crisis.
The Assembly had until midnight on Tuesday to elect the head of state, as the mandate of President Vjosa Osmani ended at the beginning of April. However, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and opposition parties failed to reach an agreement on selecting a new president.
What are the possible election dates?
There are only two possible dates for holding the new early elections according to legal procedures: May 31 and June 7, according to Melos Kolshi, a researcher at the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD).
Because the president was not elected within the 34-day deadline set by the Constitutional Court in a March ruling, the Assembly was automatically dissolved on April 28, Kolshi explained to Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL).
According to him, the dissolution of the Assembly means the immediate start of the process toward new elections, which must be held within the next 45 days.
“In this way, after the Assembly’s failure to elect a president, a mandatory sequence of actions is created: first, the automatic dissolution of the Assembly as a constitutional consequence; second, the activation of the acting president’s authority to set the election date; and third, the organization of early elections within the legally defined deadlines,” Kolshi said.
How is the election date determined?
The acting president, Albulena Haxhiu, must now invite political parties to a meeting to discuss their preferred election date.
This time, the choice is simpler, as there are only two options: May 31 or June 7.
After such a meeting and agreement on the date, Haxhiu must officially announce the date of the early elections. She has until the end of next week to do so.
“This decision must be made within a period of 10 days from the day of the Assembly’s dissolution, while the election date must comply with the legal time limits—specifically, elections cannot be held earlier than thirty (30) days and no later than forty-five (45) days from the date of dissolution,” Kolshi explained.
Why only two possible dates?
These developments have significantly limited the available options.
In addition to the 30–45 day timeframe after the dissolution of the Assembly, there is also an electoral practice in the country that further narrows the choices: elections are held on a weekend.
“The law also requires elections to be held on a Sunday, respecting electoral practices and standards. In this specific case, considering that the Assembly was dissolved on April 28, the possible election dates are May 31 and June 7,” Kolshi added.
According to him, this development represents a typical example of how the Constitutional Court, through its interpretation, has clarified and operationalized constitutional norms, creating a clear and automatic mechanism for resolving institutional crises.
“At the same time, it has limited the room for discretionary intervention by the acting president in this case and reduced the potential for any abuse of rights or deadlines by any party,” he concluded.
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