The political impasse over the constitution of the Assembly is entering a new phase, while the PDK has requested that the session continue on August 12, despite the lack of an agreement between the parties.
The request was addressed to Avni Dehari, who is chairing the session in his capacity as the oldest member of Parliament, and who had previously said that the session would not continue without a political agreement.
These statements come a few days after the end of the 30-day deadline for the constitution of the Assembly, set by the Constitution, while the parties continue to lack agreement on the formation of new institutions.
"The next session will be called as soon as there is an agreement to resolve the crisis. Without an agreement, there is no point in holding the session just for formality," said Dehari.
A similar position on the need for an agreement has also been expressed by the Vetëvendosje Movement.
But, PDK has announced that its MPs will be in the Assembly hall at 11:00 on Wednesday, regardless of whether Dehari calls the session or not. It has also called on other parliamentary groups and elected MPs to be present in the hall.
"The obligation to complete the constitutive process remains and must be fulfilled without further delay," the PDK statement said.
Opposition warns of action
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said on August 11 that the failure to reconstitute the Assembly and the failure to continue the session constitute a "direct blow" to the constitutional order.
"The Constitution is not a recommendation. Judgments are not optional. The rules apply to everyone – even to the government," the PDK wrote on Facebook , warning that it will defend the constitutional order "by any means."
A day earlier, PDK leader Bedri Hamza had announced "a series of legal, political and democratic actions" to oppose, as he said, the degradation of institutions.
PDK has not yet specified what these actions will be.
Meanwhile, within the PDK itself, there have been voices for another political path out of the crisis. MP Rrustem Mustafa has called on the leaders of the PDK and LVV to sit down at a table and consider the possibility of a coalition between the two largest political forces in the country.
Mustafa said that, in the face of the lack of a functional Assembly and Government, "grand coalitions" are a "state necessity," taking the previous PDK-LDK coalition as an example.
"I am not asking you to forget the past. I am asking you not to let the past hold you hostage to the future. We have no time for resentment, no time for revenge, and no time for 'ifs' or 'buts'," he declared.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) have also insisted on respecting constitutional deadlines and procedures, while the LDK is the only opposition party that has held several meetings with Vetëvendosje for a possible agreement.
The main point of disagreement between Vetëvendosje and LDK remains the choice of the new president. Kurti has insisted that the parties agree on a consensual and non-partisan candidate, while LDK has demanded that the post of president go to it, arguing that the consensual candidate can be considered the one who manages to secure the necessary 80 votes in the Assembly.
The parties have held several meetings during August, but have not yet reached an agreement.
The Alliance, meanwhile, has refused meetings with Kurti.
This party has continuously insisted on respecting constitutional deadlines and has blamed Vetëvendosje for the institutional deadlock.
On August 8, Alliance MP Time Kadriaj threw eggs at the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, during the continuation of the constitutive session, which had begun on August 6.
Radio Free Europe has reached out to LVV, PDK, LDK, and the Alliance to obtain their positions on the next steps after the discontinuance of the constitutive session, but has not received a response by the time of publication of this article.
Arifi: The opposition must move from statements to actions
Political analyst Dritëro Arifi tells Radio Free Europe that the responsibility for exerting political pressure in the current situation falls on the opposition parties.
According to him, they have so far failed to build a common approach to the crisis.
"Unfortunately, the opposition is so divided, so fragmented," says Arifi, adding that it "does not have a common focus."
He demands more concrete actions from the opposition, including, as he says, "alerting all institutions in defense of democracy."
"I think we need political action, but strong ones, not just statements for the media," says Arifi.
He considers the current situation a consequence of the government's deliberate violation of constitutional rules.
"Tolerance of violating the Constitution is a signal. It is also a signal of the creation of a new culture that the current laws do not apply to us, and this completely creates the narrative of the Vetëvendosje Movement that the Constitution is irrelevant," he says.
Elections as a way out?
In the absence of a political agreement, new elections are being mentioned as one of the options for exiting the crisis.
Arifi agrees that the country could end up in elections again, but says that, before that, there must be accountability for the violations that, according to him, have occurred.
"Of course we should go to the elections, but I think that without sanctioning serious constitutional violations, it is unwise to go to the elections," he says.
He warns that the continuation of the stalemate could further deepen the institutional crisis in the coming months.
"We have started to enter the second week of August and, if there are no serious measures and actions, October will come very quickly," says Arifi, adding that "currently this is just the beginning of the problems."
October 4th marks six months since Albulena Haxhiu took over as acting president, following the end of Vjosa Osmani's mandate on April 4th.
The Constitution of Kosovo stipulates that the position of acting president cannot be held for more than six months.
The constitution, however, does not specify who would exercise the powers of the president if this period ends without a new president being elected.
This issue has also been raised by constitutional law experts as a possible constitutional vacuum.
If the Assembly continues to remain unconstituted until then, Kosovo would face both the lack of a functional Assembly and the end of the six-month term of office of the president. /REL/
