Tomorrow session, unlock or prolong political stalemate

The second half of this week is expected to mark the next attempt to unblock the political stalemate and start establishing institutions based on the results of the June 11th elections. This Thursday, on the date (24.08), holds the next session for the Kosovo Parliament's constitutionalisation -- the date set with a consensus by all parliamentary parties -- after more than three weeks of disagreement since August 3rd, when the constitutional sessions were interrupted.

Causes of Slumber

Political stalemate arose when neither of the political camps, first of all, coalition PAN, which did not have enough votes to elect the mayor, but neither the LAA coalition and the Vetevendosje movement, had secured more than 60 votes in Parliament. This was confirmed after the chairman of the session, a proposal for a postponement of hearing was put to a vote, when the votes were split by 60, out of 120 deputies as long as Kosovo's Assembly.

But it seems that this time, although there is still no official confirmation, things have moved in the direction of the ongoing political situation.

The New Kosovo coalition, led by Behxhet Pacolli, part of the LAA coalition, appears to be moving things towards the establishment of institutions. The general council of this party has authorised on Sunday its chairman Pacolli, who “along with elected deputies and close leadership, to see the possibility of finding exits from the crisis and to see alternative opportunities outside the coalition with the LDK and Alternative”, writes DW.

Is AKR moving things?

Parliamentary political subjects, including the partners with whom the AKR is in the coalition, continue to be mired in finding a solution to unblocking the situation, then solutions should also be sought outside the coalition with the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Alternative. The coalition is not ruled out here PAN, attended by the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and the Initiative for Kosovo. All roads are open. We will establish institutions, or apparently, go to new elections, these elections that are not welcome for the international factor”, said Fatmir Matoshi, chairman of the Electoral Commission in the New Kosovo Alliance.

The AKR's own chairman, Bexhet Pacolli, has sometimes voiced a sweeping government as a solution to exit from the political crisis, which, according to him, is causing many losses to the country both in economic and integration terms and reforms. But Pacolli has not clearly said he will be part of the PAN.

LDK continues to believe in coalition with AKR

LDK officials still believe that Behxhet Pacolli will remain loyal to the coalition's pre-election agreement with the LAA, though following the AKR Steering Council's decision Sunday, they say there is already a new situation.

Driton Selmanaj, LDK deputy in the Kosovo Assembly, says the “needs to be seen whether to materialise that decision in the coming days. But since there is nothing concrete, we still believe in an agreement we have with AKR”.

That the AKR is in talks on a possible coalition with PAN, one of the political leaders in this coalition, Fatmir Limaj, writes.

Limaj confirms talks

We calculate with a political subject. We believe Kosovo will have institutions until next week. We're talking to AKR and other political groups. It's been wasted time. Kosovo has had to have institutions so far. The Constitutional Court's decision has imposed this situation on us, because the winning coalition belongs to the proposal for chairman of the Parliament”, Fatmir Limaj has indicated.

Analysts also believe Pacolli will join the PAN coalition. “Behxhet Pacolli appears to have decided to secure the necessary PAN votes, respectively, to be part of the next government. The 10-day period, given as an ultimatum for the LAA coalition to move forward, has been more of a time purchase for it to be reasoned within party structures, prior to the electorate and before the opinion”, says analyst Imer Mushkolja.

Wessel candidate for chairman

However, this Thursday date (24.08) coalition PAN, as the winner of the June 11th elections, will propose the candidate for mayor of the assembly, and he is Kadri Veselin, chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo. If Wessel gets the necessary votes -- the majority of 61 votes -- then the way is opened for the detention of Kosovo's government in the 15-day legal deadline. Coalition nominated PAN, is AAK chairman Ramush Haradinaj.

If chairman and chairmanship of the assembly are elected Thursday, with the support of Behxhet Pacolli's party deputies, then even Ramush Haradinaj will not seem to have trouble founding Kosovo's government. However, analysts warn that this will not be sustainable, because within it the government will have the “list. Srpska”, whose officials have sometimes claimed that “any decision within Kosovo institutions will be made in full consultation with official Belgrade”. Analysts suspect the Serbian coalition could block many important decisions for Kosovo.(DW)