Kosovo opposition parties reject election of Vjosa Osmani as new president

English

Gazeta Express

18/03/2021 9:59

Kosovo opposition parties have decided not to back Vjosa Osmani’s candidacy for new president of Kosovo. The new legislature will convene next week for the first time after 14 February election to confirm new government and elect new president.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) have decided not to back Vjosa Osmani’s candidacy for president. Also, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, has stated that his party’s MPs are not obliged to create the needed quorum in parliament to confirm current acting president Vjosa Osmani’s a full five-year mandate as president of Kosovo.

On 22 March, the new legislature is set to convene and elect the Speaker. Gazeta Express has learned that a few hours later the Parliament will convene again and vote the new Government led by Albin Kurti, the leader of the Vetevendosje. The ruling coalition has suffiicent votes to confirm the new Government and is making efforts to call another session of the Parliament next week to vote their candidate Vjosa Osmani as new president of Kosovo. But Osmani who was the most voted candidate on 14 February elections running in the Vetevendosje’s election list will need at least the presence of opposition MPs to create the quorum of two-third of MPs in the Parliament in order to be elected as president. But the PDK, AAK, and Nisma have announced that they will not vote Osmani for president.

Acting chairman of the PDK, Enver Hoxhaj, biggest opposition party in new legislature, after the meeting of the party’s leadership Wednesday said that they have decided not to back Osmani for president. Also newly elected chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, said that his party will not be part of the new Government and will not vote a president who is member of a political party.  

Osmani and Kurti reached a pre-election coalition and entered the election race under a single list. Based on this arrangement Kurti agreed to nominte Osmani for president if the Vetevendosje wins the election.  

The President of the Republic of Kosovo is elected by a two thirds (2/3) majority of all deputies of the Assembly. If a two thirds (2/3) majority is not reached by any candidate in the first two ballots, a third ballot takes place between the two candidates who received the highest number of

votes in the second ballot, and the candidate who receives the majority of all deputies of the Assembly is elected as President. If none of the candidates is elected as President in the third ballot, the Assembly is dissolved, and new elections are announced within forty five (45) days. /GazetaExpress/