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Four months after Kosovo’s Feb. 9 general election, the formation of a new government remains stalled, as parliament has yet to elect a speaker.
Parliamentary sessions, which started on April 15 and have been ongoing every other day without success, continued today amid the deadlock over choosing the assembly’s leader.
In its 29th attempt, the session opened with a vote on forming a temporary committee to oversee a secret ballot for electing the parliamentary speaker. Yet, most political parties declined to nominate members for the commission.
With no outcome from the vote, the interim speaker adjourned the session until Wednesday, June 11.
Following the adjournment, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Memli Krasniqi criticized the situation, saying it was not genuine politics but a deliberate obstruction of the people’s will, adding that it had gone beyond the limits of reason.
Meanwhile, frustrated citizens gathered outside the parliament, urging party leaders to resolve the political deadlock.
Vetevendosje, the party that won the general election, continues to back Albulena Haxhiu for parliamentary speaker, despite her lack of support from other political factions. While rival parties have suggested they might offer support if Vetevendosje changes its nominee, the party remains firm in its choice.
Vetevendosje has also declared that if Haxhiu is not elected, it would favor holding early general elections alongside the scheduled local polls in the fall.
As per the official results of Kosovo’s February 9 election, Vetevendosje claimed 48 of the 100 general seats in the 120-member parliament. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) secured 24, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 20, and the AAK/NISMA alliance took eight.
The remaining 20 seats, reserved for minority communities, were split among various parties, with the Serb List obtaining the largest share, nine seats, followed by the Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo (KDTP) with two, and several others receiving one seat each.
The formation of a new government hinges on the election of the parliament speaker and their deputies. To take office, any proposed government must secure at least 61 votes in a parliamentary confidence vote.
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