The understanding reached between the Vetëvendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo over the candidacy of Bekim Sejdiu for the post of president could unblock the creation of Kosovo’s new institutions.
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However, according to Naim Jakaj, a researcher at the Kosovo Law Institute, the process must begin with the resumption of the Assembly’s constitutive session. Only after this step is completed can the 11th Legislature become functional.
Jakaj told KosovaPress that Avni Dehari, in his capacity as chair of the constitutive session, must schedule its continuation without delay. Once the Assembly is constituted, the formation of the government will follow.
He explained that the Constitution also requires another presidential candidacy in order for an extraordinary session to be convened to elect the head of state.
According to him, the political parties can continue the constitutive session at any moment once they reach an agreement. After the Assembly is constituted, either the government or the president can be elected first, as there is no obstacle regarding this matter. For the government, the constitutional deadline is fifteen days from the moment the candidate is nominated, while for the president, two candidates and the holding of an extraordinary session are required.
Regarding Bekim Sejdiu, the researcher expressed caution about describing him as a unifying figure at this stage. According to him, such an assessment can be made only after Sejdiu has served his term.
Jakaj said that particular importance will lie in the way the candidate uses the president’s constitutional powers. These powers, he said, should be monitored continuously, especially the possibility of returning laws to the Assembly when they are deemed to conflict with the Constitution.
He stressed that Sejdiu’s experience and biography are not sufficient to predict whether he will be unifying, as the candidate comes from an agreement between LVV and LDK. Jakaj added that Sejdiu may perform the duty diligently and in accordance with the Constitution, but his conduct can be assessed only after he assumes the mandate.
The president has more than thirty powers, and the way they are exercised must be monitored every day, Jakaj emphasized. In this context, returning a law to the Assembly will be one of the indicators showing whether the Assembly is adopting norms that contradict the Constitution.
Aside from the issue of the candidacy, it is still unclear whether the votes needed to elect the president will be secured. Eighty votes are required in the first two rounds, while in the third round the candidate can be elected with 61 votes. However, eighty deputies must participate in this vote.
First, according to Jakaj, it must be seen whether all LDK deputies will support the agreement with LVV and Sejdiu’s candidacy. There are deputies in this party who have not wanted to engage in cooperation with the Vetëvendosje Movement.
The researcher said it remains to be seen whether these deputies will be included in the decision of the LDK leadership and whether they will vote for the candidate. It also remains open whether LVV leader Albin Kurti will ask LDK for a written commitment that all the necessary signatures and votes are in place.
Jakaj added that Kurti may also seek support from other parties so that he does not rely solely on the threshold of eighty deputies. He had previously requested that there be 85 deputies, and it must now be seen whether these votes will be secured.
On August 31, LVV and LDK agreed on the name of Bekim Sejdiu as a candidate for president of Kosovo.
Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Assembly remains unconstituted. In the two attempts so far, it has not been possible to elect the Assembly speaker and complete the constitution of the 11th Legislature.
The constitutive session remains the main point of confrontation between the parliamentary parties, while the inability to establish the institutions is deepening the political crisis in the country. Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has asked for time to reach a political agreement, with the aim of enabling the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the new institutions. On the other hand, the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Alliance have continued their political actions to demand that the constitutive session be held.
