The Constitutional Deadline Is Approaching as the Opposition Faces Criticism for Blocking Kosovo’s New Institutions

The process of constituting the Assembly of Kosovo, which was supposed to mark the start of forming new institutions after the elections, has remained deadlocked. The constitutive session on August 6 ended without the election of the legislature’s governing structures.

After the new lawmakers were sworn in, the chair of the session announced its postponement at the request of the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement. The stated reason was to give the parties time to reach a political agreement with the Democratic League of Kosovo. So far, the negotiations have produced no concrete result, while the constitutional deadline for constituting the Assembly is approaching.

The situation has become even more complicated following the LDK’s request for the post of president, an issue that could further complicate efforts to find a compromise among the political forces.

Publicist Lis Bukuroca spoke to “Bota sot” about the latest developments.

Bukuroca said that Kosovo’s political crisis could continue, while assigning primary responsibility for the current deadlock to the opposition parties. According to him, these parties are refusing to accept the new political reality created after the elections.

He emphasized that the Vetëvendosje Movement emerged victorious and that citizens gave it the mandate to lead the process of forming the government. In a normally functioning democracy, he added, the election of the speaker of the Assembly should not become an obstacle to the creation of institutions.

“Kosovo’s political situation does not appear likely to be resolved soon. The institutional crisis could continue throughout this year as well. In my view, the main problem lies with the opposition parties.

Vetëvendosje won the elections, and citizens gave it the mandate to form the government. In a functioning democracy, the election of the speaker of the Assembly would be almost a formal procedure. However, the three opposition parties, which were part of the government until 2020, do not appear ready to accept the change in political relations,” he declared.

The publicist also argued that, in recent years, a model has become consolidated in Kosovo in which justice institutions have not always operated fully in accordance with the principles of the rule of law. According to him, this has also influenced the way the opposition views possible reforms.

Bukuroca assessed that the rejection of profound changes in the justice system is linked to political interests that have developed over the years.

“During those years, a system was built in which the courts, the prosecution and part of the justice system operated more in line with the interests of political elites than with the principles of the rule of law. For precisely this reason, they view every attempt at deep reforms in the justice system with reservations,” he said.

Turning to the LDK’s role in the talks on constituting the Assembly, Bukuroca criticized its leader, Lumir Abdixhiku. He said that Abdixhiku’s statements about cooperation do not correspond to the actions being taken on the political scene.

According to him, if the LDK had the functioning of institutions as its primary concern, it should help unblock the situation rather than impose political conditions.

“Lumir Abdixhiku is not being sincere in the political meetings. He fell short of the result he expected in the elections and is now trying to create the impression of a constructive politician, ready to help form the institutions. Nevertheless, his main aim is to distance himself from the other opposition parties without fundamentally changing his obstructive stance.

If the LDK’s priority were the functioning of the state and its institutions, it would contribute to unblocking the process of constituting the Assembly. The same applies to the other opposition parties. Unfortunately, none of the three opposition leaders appears to place the national interest above the party interest,” he declared.

Although he considers the current crisis solvable, the publicist warned that the lack of political will and conflicts among the parties could keep it unresolved. He said that efforts to weaken Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s position are taking precedence over the need to create functioning institutions.

“Therefore, although this crisis could be resolved relatively easily, I believe it will continue. The reason is that the desire to weaken or impose conditions on Albin Kurti appears to be greater than the will to build functioning institutions and a state governed by the rule of law,” Bukuroca emphasized.

In conclusion, Lis Bukuroca warned that prolonging the institutional deadlock would have consequences extending beyond clashes between the parties, affecting the functioning of the state and the lives of citizens.

“The political struggle between the parties must not become an obstacle to the functioning of institutions. In the end, the biggest loser is not a political party, but the state of Kosovo itself and its citizens,” Lis Bukuroca concluded in comments to “Bota sot”.