Kurti proposes deal with PDK: vote for Sejdiu in exchange for changes to the Special Court

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has publicly offered the Democratic Party of Kosovo a deal to approve the proposed changes to the law governing Kosovo’s Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

Under his proposal, if the PDK commits to securing at least half of the votes of its 22 lawmakers for the election of Bekim Sejdiu as Kosovo’s new president tonight, Kurti promised to secure 62 votes from his party and the governing coalition partners to approve the changes to the law on the Specialist Chambers.

Bekim Sejdiu is the candidate put forward under an agreement between Kurti’s Vetëvendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo.

During a press conference, Kurti said that Sejdiu remains a candidate and that his election requires the support of half of the PDK lawmakers. This would enable the presence of at least 80 lawmakers in the 120-seat Assembly on the final day of the constitutional deadline for electing a new president.

The prime minister said he is now awaiting a response from the PDK, adding that the opposition party “no longer wants to meet with us.”

Earlier, PDK Chairman Bedri Hamza said he would not meet with Kurti or anyone else on the matter, as changes to the law aimed at limiting the powers of the Specialist Chambers have already been approved. / REL