Kosovo Presidential Post Could Break Coalition Agreement Between VV, LDK

The Democratic League of Kosovo prefers all issues -- from the division of ministries to the post of president -- to be included in the upcoming agreement between Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, and LDK's Isa Mustafa.

The LDK's initiative to discuss the next president to come to the head of state in 2021 relates to the fact that if the president is not elected, the country goes to the polls, so the LDK does not prefer a coalition agreement that would last a year and a half.

Vetevendosje, however, does not prefer debate for the president at this stage, but calls on the LDK to stop expecting the certificate of election results to be agreed on about separation of ministries.

While the prime minister's position has not been opposed to Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, along with the president's post, another position seen as the most difficult point for negotiations is that of Kosovo's foreign minister.

Awareers of political developments in Kosovo say the position of the president and foreign minister should not complicate talks aimed at reaching an agreement.

Politologist Ramush Tahiri tells Radio Free Europe, that the Vetevendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo must reach agreement for governance by harmonising party programmes more than being guided to who the minister directs.

I don't think that personal countries will be any obstacle, because each has a certain goal and achieves something with that goal even on this basis can harmonise attitudes. The president has a mandate for another year and a half, and I don't think that this government just because it has numbers or why it intends to have numbers, it will make an institutional club and remove the president by producing the reasons. As for the foreign minister, it depends on how other functions are shared. But, the foreign minister for contrasting so far must be a personality with credit and experienced”, Tahiri estimates.

The goal of Vetevendosje and LDK is to create a 12 or 15 ministerial government.

It remains to be seen whether the party that assumes the position of prime minister, the Vetevendosje Movement, will also assume the position of the Speaker of the Parliament or this position will free the LDK.

For these topics, the talks will reportedly shift to the level of leaders of the two parties, while for now, according to Albulen Haxhiu from the Vetevendosje Movement, the presidential post issue has not been asked by either side for discussion. She also says, that so far there has been no obstacle to anything when it comes to reaching the agreement.

We have not been launched into positions such as it is for the president, or in particular for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are no conditions so far, but the president's case has not been even the official official request of LDK. We are not dealing with public statements by LDK officials. So far, no meeting has mentioned the president's case. However, it is a matter belonging to party leaders. If this request by the LDK exists to address the president's issue, it is the responsibility of the mayors to define this”, Haxhiu points out.

On the other hand, Democratic League of Kosovo deputy leader Agim Veliu considers that all issues guaranteeing a coalition government in full mandate should be defined in the beginning so that, as he says, there will be no problems later. In this regard, Veliu considers that the president's case should be discussed.

Also, the president's case should be discussed, because 2021 is the year when the president's term ends. And if we fail to make a deal, find a choice for the president's election, then the country goes into elections and we don't have an account for us for a year and a half to experiment with a political subject and then again start from the beginning of”, Veliu says.

The LDK is currently not preferring the launch of talks at the level of party leaders, as it is in favour of awaiting the certificate of election results.

Albulen Haxhiu, on the other hand, says Vetevendosje is interested in discussing ministerial posts, not having to be expected.

We are very interested that these meetings happen as soon as possible. We have heard Mr. Isa Mustafa in a statement saying that the results were not certified, with Mr. Kurti we can only drink coffee, but during this time the certificate should be expected to have intense meetings so that political party heads can talk about issues that were not the competence of working groups dealing with the division of government positions”, Haxhi adds.

Meetings between the working groups have ended, while the next phase of the talks is scheduled to take place later when the division of ministries and key positions is expected during the upcoming governing mandate. After the 6 October elections, the Central Election Commission had announced final results, but political parties have had their complaints. Votes from Serbia were contested by the Social Democrat Initiative coalition, the New Kosovo Alliance and the Justice Party.

According to this coalition, voter envelopes from Serbia “are not known where they have their identity and the origin of”. Their complaint was dealt with by the Electoral Panel for Anxiety and Parashtre (PZAP), which decided on Monday, November 11th, to cancel these votes. But another complaint was filed at the Supreme Court, by three deputies of the Vetevendosje Movement, against the PZAP decision.

However, according to a statement posted on the social network Facebook, Limaj, has said the “Supreme Court and PZAP with these decisions showed that the rule of law here functions, and the institutions of this legal state are Guardians in the protection of law and democracy in Kosovo”.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday afternoon in Kosovo, the recount of nearly 1,500 seats from the October 6th early parliamentary elections has begun. Organisations monitoring the election process say this process could last up to three weeks. The recounting of votes has ordered the Electoral Panel for Anxiety and Parashtre (PZAP), given political parties' complaints to the final outcome of the Central Election Commission.