The process of establishing new institutions in Kosovo following the elections has been blocked from the very first step. The constitutive session of the Assembly, held on August 6, ended without the legislative body’s governing bodies being elected.
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After the newly elected lawmakers took their oaths, the chair of the session decided to adjourn it at the request of the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement. The reason given was to allow time for a political agreement with the Democratic League of Kosovo. However, the negotiations have yet to produce a result, while the time available for constituting the Assembly under the constitutional deadline is running out.
The situation has been further complicated by the LDK’s demand for the post of president of Kosovo, making it more difficult for the political forces to reach a compromise.
Publicist Lis Bukuroca spoke to “Bota sot” about the latest developments, saying that the institutional crisis could last even longer. According to him, the main responsibility for this situation lies with the opposition parties, which are refusing to accept the new political reality following the elections.
Bukuroca stresses that the Vetëvendosje Movement emerged victorious from the elections and received a mandate from the citizens to lead the formation of the government. In his view, in a functioning democracy, the election of the Assembly speaker should be a simple procedure rather than a cause of institutional deadlock.
“It does not appear that Kosovo’s political situation will be resolved quickly, and the institutional crisis may continue throughout this year. In my opinion, the main problem concerns the opposition parties. Vetëvendosje won the elections, and the citizens gave it a mandate to form the government. In a functioning democratic system, the election of the Assembly speaker would be almost a formality. But the three opposition parties that were in power until 2020 are not showing a willingness to accept the change in the political balance,” he said.
The publicist also links the opposition’s stance to the way in which, in his view, the justice system was built in previous years. He claims that the courts, the prosecution and some justice institutions have not always acted fully in accordance with the principles of the rule of law.
According to Bukuroca, this reality also explains the opposition parties’ reservations about far-reaching justice reforms, as they could affect political interests established over the years.
“During that period, a system was created in which the courts, the prosecution and part of the justice system operated more in line with the interests of the political elites than with the principles of the rule of law. For this reason, they view any attempt at far-reaching justice reforms with suspicion,” he said.
Turning to the LDK’s role in the talks on constituting the Assembly, Bukuroca criticized its leader, Lumir Abdixhiku. He said that Abdixhiku’s statements about cooperation were not consistent with his political actions.
“Lumir Abdixhiku is not proving sincere in political meetings. He failed to achieve the result he expected in the elections and is now trying to present himself as a constructive politician, ready to help establish the institutions. However, his main aim appears to be distancing himself from the other opposition parties without fundamentally changing his obstructive approach,” Bukuroca said.
He added that if the LDK truly prioritized the functioning of the state, it should help unblock the constitution of the Assembly rather than impose political conditions. In his view, the other opposition parties bear the same responsibility.
“None of the three opposition leaders appears to be putting the state interest above the party interest,” he said.
The publicist believes that resolving the crisis is possible, but political clashes and a lack of willingness to compromise could prolong the situation. According to him, efforts to weaken Prime Minister Albin Kurti or impose conditions on him are taking precedence over the need to establish functioning institutions.
“Although this crisis could be resolved relatively easily, I believe it will continue. The desire to weaken Albin Kurti or impose conditions on him appears to be greater than the willingness to build functioning institutions and a state governed by the rule of law,” Bukuroca stressed.
In conclusion, he warned that prolonging the political confrontation would have consequences beyond the rivalry between the parties. According to him, such a crisis directly affects the functioning of the state and the lives of citizens.
“The political confrontation between the parties must not become an obstacle to the functioning of the institutions. In the end, the biggest loser will not be a political force, but the state of Kosovo itself and its citizens,” Lis Bukuroca concluded in comments to “Bota sot”.
