Parliamentary session resumes on September 9, Jakupi: Three paths that could determine Kosovo’s political future

Kosovo’s MPs are expected to convene on Wednesday, September 9, at 11:00 a.m. to continue the constitutive session adjourned last month. The meeting is seen as an effort to complete the constitution of the Assembly and create the conditions for the formation of new institutions.

Beyond the completion of parliamentary procedures, the main focus is on the election of the president of the Republic. The process is expected to show whether the political agreement between LVV and LDK will be sufficient to overcome the institutional deadlock.

Analyst Zejnulla Jakupi discussed the expected developments and potential political scenarios in an interview with “Bota sot.” According to him, September 9 does not simply represent the continuation of a parliamentary session, but a direct test of the LVV–LDK agreement and its ability to unblock the institutions.

Jakupi assesses that completing the constitution of the Assembly through the election of its speaker and deputy speakers would be only the first step. Even if this process is successfully concluded, he said, the political crisis would not be considered resolved.

Following its constitution, the Assembly could proceed with the other constitutional procedures, but the main challenge would remain the election of the president. This process, the analyst stressed, will show whether the political agreement between the two entities is comprehensive or serves only to overcome the first obstacle.

The LVV–LDK agreement centers on the candidacy of Bekim Sejdiu for president. However, the numbers in the Assembly make the support of other MPs necessary. Together, the two parties have 71 MPs, while 80 votes are required in the first two rounds of the presidential election.

According to Jakupi, the Constitution provides for three voting possibilities for the president. In the first two rounds, the candidate must receive 80 votes. If this majority is not achieved, the process continues, while after the failure of the second round, the two candidates who received the most votes remain in the race.

The third round changes the majority requirement, as 61 votes are sufficient to elect the president, representing a majority of all MPs. This means that a candidate may fail to secure 80 votes in the first two ballots but could be elected in the third round if they receive 61 votes.

The analyst considers the third vote the decisive point in the process. If this round also fails, the Assembly is dissolved and the country goes to new elections. Under the Constitution, the elections must be held within 45 days.

Jakupi emphasizes that failure in the first or second round does not automatically send the country to elections. Such consequences would arise only if the president is not elected in the third vote as well, which is why every vote at this stage could be decisive.

According to him, developments could take three main directions. In the first scenario, the Assembly is constituted, the votes for the president are secured, and the way is opened for the creation of new institutions.

The second possibility is that the Assembly completes its constitution while the election of the president remains blocked. In this case, there would be a technical and political success in parliament, but the crisis would shift to the presidential process.

The third scenario involves the complete failure to elect a president. If the 80-vote majority is not achieved in the first two rounds and the third vote also fails, when 61 votes are required, the Assembly would be dissolved and Kosovo would go to new elections.

Jakupi stresses that the essence of the developments on September 9 lies not only in holding the session, but in the existence of a political majority capable of returning the country to normal institutional functioning. The LVV–LDK agreement creates an opportunity to emerge from the crisis, but its 71 MPs are not enough for the first two presidential rounds.

Therefore, attention will focus on the MPs who could provide the additional votes. If they are secured, Kosovo could enter an important process of institutional unblocking. Otherwise, September 9 could mark only the beginning of another political confrontation. After the third round, there will be no room for further delays: either a president is elected, or the Assembly is dissolved and the country goes to new elections, Zejnulla Jakupi concluded to “Bota sot.”