After 14 unsuccessful attempts, Kosovo lawmakers will meet again today in a new attempt to elect a speaker of parliament and break the unprecedented political deadlock in the youngest country in Europe, writes Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
Political life in Kosovo has been put on hold since the parliamentary elections on February 9, in which the Self-Determination party of Prime Minister Albin Kurti won only 48 out of 120 seats, not enough to form a government on its own. Opposition parties, on the other hand, are refusing to vote for the Self-Determination candidate for parliament speaker, former Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu. Her appointment was expected to be a formality, but led to a stalemate after multiple votes failed.
Some political leaders have hinted at the possibility of new elections, as according to parliamentary rules, parliament cannot begin work without a speaker, and if parliament is not working, a government cannot be formed. Some opposition parties accuse Self-Determination of blocking progress due to the party's refusal to propose an alternative candidate for parliament speaker.
"Self-Determination is keeping Kosovo in an institutional crisis, whatever the cost," said Memli Krasniqi, chairman of the right-wing Democratic Party of Kosovo, which came in second in the election with 20.95 percent.
The center-right Democratic Union of Kosovo, which came in third with 18.7 percent of the vote, said the crisis was due to "the failure of the party that came in first in the election to create a political partnership for a new majority." According to the leader of the right-wing Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, a potential solution could include the intervention of President Vjosa Osmani, as she is perceived as more pragmatic and diplomatic than the prime minister and could turn to the court for interpretation of the constitution.
Fadil Maloku, a sociology professor at the University of Pristina, said that in his opinion, “the crisis is the result of shameful hostile actions between the leaders“.
“Kosovo has been their hostage for three months“, he added.
Political analyst Arben Kirezi commented to the online publication “Koha Ditore“ that the young country lacks “a culture of political compromise“.
He believes this is essential for maintaining the stability and legitimacy of the political system and the democratic representation of citizens.
The current crisis could be costly for Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, notes Agence France-Presse. Serbia refuses to recognize the independence of its former province.
The parliamentary deadlock is delaying the ratification of agreements under the European Union's Western Balkans Growth Plan. It is depriving the country of access to 882.6 million euros in loans and grants.
The parliamentary session, which began on April 15, can only be concluded with the election of a speaker, three deputy speakers and the formation of parliamentary groups. However, the constitution does not specify a specific deadline for this process, meaning that in theory it could continue indefinitely.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti's response to journalists who asked what the possible solution was was: "I am the prime minister, let's move forward".