Vetëvendosje is ready to go to new elections on June 15 or 22, declared Deputy Albulena Haxhiu on Sunday, just moments before her candidacy for Speaker of the Assembly was rejected for the second time by lawmakers.
“Yes, we are ready to go to elections,” Haxhiu said, commenting on the proposal by the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, who suggested that elections be considered as a solution to the institutional deadlock.
Despite claims that they have the necessary numbers, Vetëvendosje will once again attempt to secure the 61 votes needed to elect the Speaker of the Assembly.
Political expert Albinot Maloku told RTK that Vetëvendosje must understand that the citizens did not give them enough votes to govern alone.
“There are tactical moves from all sides, and I do not see any concrete developments that could resolve this saga tomorrow,” Maloku said.
He added that neither side nor any of the candidates have the clear capacity to serve as prime minister under the current circumstances, pointing out that all parties share the blame but the winner of the elections carries the responsibility.
Blerim Canaj, another political analyst, argued that the country is losing by failing to form a government quickly. However, he also raised a concern.
“I have the impression that even Kurti is sometimes not interested in forming the government; there has always been common ground found, but somehow he is trying to go to elections again, together with the local elections,” Canaj said.
Tomorrow, the Assembly is set to hold its fourth attempt to fully convene, with the vote for Albulena Haxhiu as Speaker of the Assembly expected once again.
Meanwhile, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has decided to file criminal charges for any decisions made by government members who were also lawmakers since March 27.
Mimoza Kusari-Lila, a member of the Alternative party on the Vetëvendosje list, stated that lawmakers’ failure to vote during the election process for the Speaker of the Assembly constitutes a violation.
In a Facebook post, Kusari-Lila referred to a Constitutional Court ruling in Case No. KO119/14, which emphasizes that all deputies must be present and vote openly or secretly.
“Yesterday, during the vote for the Speaker of the Assembly, some deputies did not participate in the voting at all. According to this ruling, abstention is considered a violation. This cannot be repeated tomorrow during the continuation of the constitutive session,” she wrote.
Blerim Sallahu, a member of Vetëvendosje, stated that elections are the only solution if the Speaker is not elected by Monday, April 21.
The Deputy Minister of Justice, in a Facebook post, explained that Albulena Haxhiu was proposed for Speaker because “she is among the top five most voted in the party and the most voted woman in the Republic of Kosovo.”
He said he expects legitimacy and legality to prevail in the Assembly to prevent further violations of the Constitution.
“Tomorrow, we expect legitimacy and legality to be realized in the Assembly of Kosovo to prevent further violations of the Constitution by those who have already breached it as soon as they entered the Assembly! Otherwise, if the Assembly remains blocked, the only solution is elections. Therefore, an agreement for the formation and dissolution of the Assembly, because the opposition’s lack of will to form the Assembly implies rejection of the election results,” he said.
