Constitutive session of the Assembly continues on Friday at 11:00, election of deputy speakers expected

The constitutive session of the Assembly of Kosovo will continue its proceedings on Friday, September 11, as announced by this state institution.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 11:00, with the election of deputy speakers on the agenda.

Proceedings will continue after Albulena Haxhiu was elected on Wednesday as the chairwoman of the 11th legislature. Her candidacy received 62 votes in favor, 16 against, and 13 abstentions.

The election of deputy speakers did not take place in the same session, because the political parties did not reach agreement on whether the candidates should be voted together as a package or separately. Additionally, it was stated that Vetëvendosje Movement, which proposed Ardian Gola for deputy speaker, would not support with its vote Vlora Çitaku, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, and Kujtim Shala, the candidate of the Democratic League of Kosovo.

Emilija Rexhepi and Slavko Simić were proposed for the deputy speaker positions reserved for non-majority communities. Simić’s nomination caused another clash in parliament, after the head of the Serbian List parliamentary group, Igor Simić, said that he was presenting the other Simić’s candidacy “in the name of the Serbian people.”

Albulena Haxhiu, as the speaker of parliament, asked Igor Simić to withdraw this statement, but he did not do so.

Afterwards, Haxhiu decided to adjourn the session, arguing that there was no agreement on the election of deputy speakers.

The constitutive process can only be completed after the five deputy speakers of the Assembly are elected. The largest parliamentary groups are entitled to three of these positions, while the other two belong to non-majority communities.