Vetevendosje, LDK reach coalition deal in Kosovo

Gazeta Express

01/02/2020 18:15

Gazeta Express has learned the Vetevendosje and Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, have reached a preliminary agreement about forming a coalition government and their leaders ar expected to sign it on Sunday.

A source told Gazeta Express the parties agreed to overcome obstacles and form new government four months after early election took place producing a hung parliament. Reportedly the Vetevendosje agreed their deputy head Glauk Konjufca step down as Speaker of Parliament only a month after his election and make a way for their coalition partner – the LDK to propose a new speaker, which was one of the main request of LDK to enter coalition with the Vetevendosje as winners of election. Konjufca will get a ministerial post instead. He is expected to be replaced by LDK’s deputy head, Vjosa Osmani, who on 6 October elections was candidate for prime minister but she lost the election battle with the Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti who according to the Constitution of Kosovo should present his cabinet before Parliament on Monday.

The LDK insisted that part of a coalition deal be also the president’s post after mandate of current president Hashim Thaci expires in 2021. A source told Gazeta Express that the two parties agreed this issue be addressed later after forming new government.

It took Vetevendosje and LDK four months of negotiations to agree on sharing powers in new government. Kosovo is functioning for six months now with a caretaker government. Albin Kurti of Vetevendosje and Isa Mustafa of LDK held a series of meetings which produced no results. The president of Kosovo Hashim Thaci on 20 January mandated Kurti to form new government and according to the Constitution the PM designate has 15 days to present his cabinet before the Parliament. Kurti asked the Parliament to call a session on Monday and vote the Government as he was running out of options. The deal is not official yet and the parties are expected to work over the weekend on details of the deal and go to Monday’s session of the Parliament with a clear plan. Kurti will need votes of all MPs of his party the LDK and votes of MPs representing minorities to create the majority in Parliament. He met on Friday representatives of the Srpska List, a political entity representing Serbs in Kosovo who stated that they will not become an obstacle to forming new institutions in Kosovo. Based on Kosovo legislation, at least one minister of Serbian community should be part of the Government. Earlier the Vetevendosje and LDK have stated that they want a small government with only 12 ministries with 10 ministries divided equally between the two parties and two other ministers be reserved for minorities. /GazetaExpress/