Parliamentary parties in Kosovo have still failed to agree on a candidate who could secure their support for the post of president, while the constitutional deadline for electing the country’s new head of state expires at the end of next week.
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According to the Constitutional Court’s ruling of September 23, the 60-day period for electing the president began on August 8, when the Assembly was constituted, and expires on October 6.
The chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Bedri Hamza, held a meeting with Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Sunday, during which other developments in the political situation were also discussed.
Hamza said on Monday that the issue of the president was also addressed during the talks, but that no specific candidates for the post were mentioned.
He added that the PDK was ready to continue discussions with the Self-Determination Movement on the issue if the draft law providing for amendments and supplements to the law on the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo in The Hague was approved.
“We did not get into names; we did not discuss them. If the law is passed, we are open to other issues as well,” Hamza said.
The draft law is currently with the government, to which it was sent for an opinion on September 25.
Since April 4, the duties of Kosovo’s president have been carried out by an acting president. The Constitution stipulates that a person may not hold this function for more than six months.
The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has also said it is ready to help resolve the deadlock over the election of the president.
Jehona Lushaku, head of the LDK parliamentary group, said the opposition party was willing to take concrete steps to resolve the problems and enable the institutions to function.
“We are not in a position to say that we are for or against a candidate. But we are ready to contribute to the election of the president,” she said.
At the end of August, following negotiations between the Self-Determination Movement and the LDK led by Lumir Abdixhiku, the two sides announced that they had reached an agreement on a consensus president and proposed Bekim Sejdiu.
But a day later, it became known that six LDK lawmakers did not support Sejdiu’s candidacy. As a result, he could not secure the 81 votes required, representing two-thirds of the 120-seat Assembly, for the election of the president.
Due to insufficient support, Sejdiu withdrew his candidacy on September 14.
The Alliance, which is represented in the Assembly by seven lawmakers, has refused to meet with the leader of the Self-Determination Movement, Albin Kurti, over the issue of the president. In exchange for its support, the party had presented six conditions.
Alliance lawmaker Ramush Haradinaj said Kurti had “made fun” of opposition leaders during the meetings because, in his view, the aim had been to send the country to elections.
“He invited them to meetings, made fun of them and ultimately left them without an agreement,” Haradinaj told the media on Monday. He added that the Alliance “will not become part of Kurti’s games.”
If the parties fail to reach an agreement on the election of a new president within the deadline set by the Constitutional Court, Kosovo risks heading to new elections. These would be the fourth elections since February 2025. / RFE/RL
