17th attempt/ The constitution of the Kosovo Assembly fails

2025-05-17 11:27:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

For the 17th time in the Kosovo Assembly, the constitution of the parliamentary composition resulting from the elections held on February 9 has failed today.

At the beginning of the session, Speaker Avni Dehari, from the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV), requested consultation with representatives of political parties. This caused several MPs to stand up and approach the Speaker's chair.

After the end of the session, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, said that the LVV's request was that the sessions be continued not every 48 hours, as required by the Assembly's regulations, but once a week.

But, after it was determined that 99 out of a total of 120 deputies were present at the session, the session followed the same scenario as the previous ones.

Dehari asked political parties to propose a representative for the smooth conduct of the secret ballot to elect the new speaker of parliament.

Again, PDK, Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), and Serbian List refused to nominate a representative.

This caused Dehari to adjourn the session, which was told to continue on May 19, at 10:30.

Since the swearing-in of the deputies on April 19, the session has stalled precisely at the point of electing the new speaker of parliament.

On Thursday, after a meeting called by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani with representatives of political parties, Osmani said that there was no agreement on the constitution of the Assembly, but added that he had seen a "minimal willingness" among party leaders to find a solution to this issue.

Initially, the Vetëvendosje Movement had proposed Albulena Haxhiu for parliamentary speaker, but she never managed to get the necessary 61 votes.

After six attempts to make Haxhiu the speaker of parliament, on May 1, the chairman of the session, Avni Dehari, proposed that the election of the new speaker be done through secret ballot - a move that was sent to the Constitutional Court of Kosovo by parties that were in opposition in the previous legislature.

They say that the way LVV is attempting to have the speaker of parliament voted through a secret ballot is unconstitutional, and they have asked the Constitutional Court to take "a temporary measure to prohibit the holding of sessions, until it addresses this matter as a priority and makes a decision."/ REL