The Kosovo Assembly is not constituted even in the 31st attempt

MPs continue to fail to constitute the new composition of the Kosovo Assembly four months after the February 9 parliamentary elections, leaving the country without new institutions.

As in previous extensions of the constitutive session – which began on April 15 – the deputies met briefly on Friday and did not find a solution to break the deadlock.

This was the 31st time they have met and failed, and will meet again in 48 hours, on Sunday, June 15.

The failure occurred a day after the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lumir Abdixhiku, unveiled a 15-point agenda for a unity government, inviting all parliamentary parties to form it as a way out of the political crisis.

The LDK proposal was immediately opposed by the Vetëvendosje Movement, while the Democratic Party of Kosovo prefers an executive from among the parties that were in opposition last term. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo also prefers such a coalition.

Vetëvendosje MP Artan Abrashi again opposed the LDK proposal after the session on Friday, calling it "absurdity of its kind."

"We have discussed that plan and have come to the conclusion that that proposal has insurmountable logical difficulties to understand. How can Abdixhiku expect that we, as VV, can agree on 15 such big points, when we are not agreeing on a smaller thing, which is the voting of a commission for secret ballot," Abrashi said after the session.

 "We do not understand the reason for proposing a unity government. To our knowledge, such proposals are made in exceptional situations, when there is great danger to the country. Therefore, the question is where does the LDK see the danger to Kosovo?" he added.

Speaking before the session, Fatmir Limaj, the leader of the Social Democratic Initiative that won three MPs in a pre-election coalition with the AAK, said he expects the LDK leader to officially present him with the agenda of a unity government.

Asked about the statements of Vetëvendosje MP Glauk Konjufca, that his party has secured three votes from Nisma, Limaj replied: "No, no one has, except for political agreement."

 "Through political agreement, numbers and a parliamentary majority are built. Without political agreement, there can be no solution. I believe we will find it soon," he said.

The issue has stalled over the appointment of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the Assembly.

This is the 23rd time that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Serbian List have not proposed a single member to form a commission for a secret ballot for the Vetëvendosje candidate, Albulena Haxhiu, for Speaker of the Assembly, as Haxhiu has failed to obtain the necessary 61 votes in an open vote.

Vetëvendosje, as the winner of the elections, is responsible for proposing a candidate for Speaker of the Assembly, and it constantly insists that Haxhiu is the right figure, although for other parties she is unacceptable and is considered a divisive figure.

The issue of changing the voting method – from open to secret – has been sent for interpretation to the Constitutional Court by parties that were in opposition in the previous legislature.

According to them, the LVV's proposals are unconstitutional and they have requested the Court to impose "a temporary measure to prohibit the holding of hearings, until it addresses this case as a priority and makes a decision."

The deputies must elect the president and five vice presidents to finally constitute the new Assembly.

Only after the constitution of the Assembly can the new Government be formed.

Representatives of the Vetëvendosje Movement have recently mentioned the possibility of holding new early parliamentary elections simultaneously with the regular local elections, which are expected to be announced in October, as a possibility to unblock the situation.

Albulena Haxhiu of the Vetevendosje Movement first presented this idea at a meeting that Osmani held last week with figures from political entities in Kosovo, to discuss the date of local elections.

However, Abelard Tahiri, from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, said last week that he believes the elections should be held separately.

According to him, if new parliamentary elections are to be held, this should happen earlier, not in October when regular local elections are held.

Arben Gashi, from the Democratic League of Kosovo, said last week that “it may happen that we come to a situation where new elections will be the solution”, although it would be “very complicated for the Central Election Commission to organize them together (with the local authorities)”.

Kosovo's President, Vjosa Osmani, reiterated on June 5 that the delay in the constitution of the Assembly harms the credibility of the institutions and the country's progress towards the Euro-Atlantic agenda.

Diplomatic representatives of the QUINT countries [United States, Great Britain, Italy, France and Germany] as well as the Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, met a few days ago with the acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, requesting the rapid formation of institutions to ensure the well-being and prosperity of the citizens of Kosovo./ REL