After the certification of the results, what are the next steps? Zejnulla Jakupi explains the procedures and the possibility of a deadlock

With the completion of the certification of the results by the Central Election Commission, the country is entering the decisive phase of establishing new institutions. At the center of developments are now the constitution of the Assembly, the selection of the speaker and deputy speakers, as well as the formation of the new Government.

However, it remains unclear whether political parties will find common ground within the legal deadlines, or whether the country could slide into an institutional deadlock.

Political analyst Zejnulla Jakupi spoke to “Bota sot” about what is expected to happen after the certification of the election results.

He initially explained that the constitutional phase for establishing the institutions has now begun and listed the main procedures that follow.

“After the certification of the results by the Central Election Commission (CEC), the constitutional phase for creating Kosovo’s new institutions begins. The certification of the results clears the way for the President to take steps toward constituting the Assembly and then forming the Government.

The main steps are: calling the constitutive session of the Assembly – the President must convene the first meeting of the Assembly within 30 days of the certification of the results. At this session, deputies take the oath and the speaker and deputy speakers of the Assembly are elected.

The mandate to form the Government will be given after the constitution of the Assembly, while the president mandates the candidate for prime minister, usually from the party or coalition that has won the most seats and has the ability to secure a parliamentary majority. The candidate must present the government cabinet and program for a vote in the Assembly,” he said.

Further on, Jakupi also spoke about the scenario in which there is no political agreement and the necessary votes to form the Government are not secured.

“At least 61 votes from 120 deputies are needed to approve the Government. What happens if there is no political agreement?

The law and the Constitution provide for procedures, but not always short deadlines that force a political solution. In practice, if the Assembly fails to constitute itself (for example, if the speaker is not elected), the process can remain blocked until the parties reach a compromise; if the candidate for prime minister does not secure a majority, other constitutional procedures for mandating may be followed, according to the interpretation of the Constitution and the practice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo; if no majority can be created, one of the final solutions may be the calling of new elections, according to constitutional procedures.”

The analyst also stressed that the establishment of the institutions is directly linked to securing a parliamentary majority and that the law, in itself, does not necessarily unblock the process.

In this context, he underlined the need for a broader political agreement, recalling that 81 votes are needed to elect the president.

“So, the process is not automatically unblocked by law in the absence of a political agreement. Constitutional mechanisms provide procedural steps, but the formation of institutions ultimately depends on securing a parliamentary majority and, in cases of disagreement, also on interpretations by the Constitutional Court.

An agreement must nevertheless be reached – a consensus – so that the president can be elected by the parliamentary majority with 81 votes, by choosing a non-political candidate,” Zejnulla Jakupi concluded for “Bota sot”.