Kurti invites Hamza to discuss deputy chair candidates after session fails

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said that the Vetëvendosje Movement is ready to vote in favor of a deputy from the Democratic Party of Kosovo for the position of deputy speaker of the Assembly. He called for the candidates for these posts to be discussed through meetings between the political entities.

According to Kurti, the Vetëvendosje Movement will certainly also vote for a deputy from the Democratic League of Kosovo, whether a man or a woman, for the position of deputy speaker of the Assembly. He said that the same position had earlier been expressed by LVV parliamentary group leader Arbërie Nagavci.

Kurti stressed that a Constitutional Court ruling from last year does not require a vote only for one specific candidate for these positions.

He announced that he intends to hold a meeting with PDK leader Bedri Hamza, where the names of candidates for deputy speakers of the Assembly will be discussed.

“I have not sent the invitation yet. I want us to meet, talk, and discuss the names there,” Kurti said.

Referring to statements by PDK MP Vlora Çitaku, Kurti said that last year she had called for Albulena Haxhiu’s withdrawal, while this year she had called for Feride Rushiti’s withdrawal. He also mentioned the boycott of the vote on Haxhiu as speaker of the Assembly, as well as Çitaku’s announcement that she would boycott the election of the president.

The LVV leader described the withdrawal from the process of constituting the Assembly as regrettable, saying that today’s session had provided an opportunity to complete it.

“It is regrettable that this time we are not even meeting, and today we have seen the process of constituting the Assembly abandoned,” Kurti said.

He said that the parties had previously insisted on the urgent constitution of the Assembly and had called for the session not to be interrupted until the process was finalized. According to him, the opportunity to do so today was not used.

“You know that earlier they said it was urgent, that we had to enter the session and not leave until we had constituted the Assembly. Today was the chance to do that, but that chance was let go,” he said.

However, Kurti said that there was still room for an agreement and for completing the constitution of the Assembly.

“It is not too late. We are late, but it is not too late. If we do this on Sunday, we will nevertheless consider that, generally speaking, we were successful together,” Kurti said.