Analyst: Partition of ministries does not risk reaching agreement V V-LDK

The two parties, during Monday's day, have failed to sign the ruling coalition agreement after failing to agree on the division of positions.

The Democratic League of Kosovo is seeking to take over the chairman of the Parliament, the president and five ministries, but this is not being accepted by the Vetevendosje Movement.

Vetevendosje Deputy Chairman Glauk Konjuca, on a television show, has stated that if the LDK insists it should have the president, the chief speaker and the division of ministries 50-50, then the agreement is elusive. He had declared that the prime minister chooses the people, but not the president.

And after that statement, there have been reactions by Kosovo Democratic League officials, where through a communique for the media they had said they are committed to respecting and implementing the will of citizens.

“We have repeatedly expressed our readiness and firm commitment to reaching a co-governance agreement with the LVV, based on the political power voters have given to the two parties, in the spirit of co-operation towards defence and advancing Kosovo state interests. The Democratic League of Kosovo has worked and is willing to reach a balanced, stable and long-term agreement. Discussions between the two parties -- the LDK and LVV -- will continue in trust and consensus, without subjecting themselves to anyone's public pressures and creating an appropriate and rational environment. Our common goal is to reach an agreement that has priority only and only our pledges to Kosovo citizens to improve their well-being”, the communique said.

While there have been no meetings between the two political parties, political analysts estimate that the division of ministries is not an obstacle to reaching an agreement between Vetevendosje and the LDK.

Politologist Ramush Tahiri says he does not believe the coalition between LVV and LDK will fail in the division of ministries.

He says the LDK's request in terms of ministries, the post of Parliament Speaker and president is normal, but says the Constitution and laws have preceded that the first election party has the Speaker of the Parliament.

“The LDK, in addition to ministerial posts 5 to 5, also calls for the president's position after a year and a half, and is also seeking the post of prime parliament. This is normal for a political party that wants to strengthen its position on the negotiating table, perhaps even more than it has received votes. However, laws and the Constitution have also envisioned that the first party has the Speaker of the Parliament and a deputy chairman, the second party has a deputy chairman, the third party has a vice president and the two parties -- one of the other minorities, a Serb minority. This formula and scheme cannot be voted or changed by agreement”, he says.

As for the LDK's request to have the post of president, Tahiri says the party aspect is legitimate, but from the constitutional and legal aspect is illegal.

It's illegal to discuss the president's issue, but also whose case is the chief parliament and outside the constitution. Power sharing is now only for the Parliament, it is defined and for the government, elections are held only for these forms, not for others. From the party segment it's legitimate that the LDK wants to get more, even though it's not the first party that wants, maybe approach and exit the first party. But there is no guarantee that this political agreement is stable because we have an agreement between LDK and PDK earlier on Thaci's election, but the moment the PDK has voted the no-confidence motion for Isa Mustafafa's government has fallen, but the president has remained. It means the agreement has no legal obligations, and on this basis LDK's insistence does not seem very political, it means a close party interest”, he says.

In contrast, political analyst Rasim Alija, for Kosova Prees, says the clash of both subjects for the division of positions is normal, as according to him both subjects know the weight of the ministries assigned within the government.

He says he does not believe the coalition between LVV and LDK will fail because of the separation of ministries or the presidential post issue.

Alija says both political parties should also agree on the position of president and not remain to be discussed after the current president's mandate expires.

We saw that not everything was agreed on during those working group meetings, but the leadership meetings. Apparently, the clashes are in terms of the division of certain resorts, this is quite normal given that both political subjects and LVVV, and the LDK know the weight of the resorts assigned within the government, there is the minister who has greater weight as co-governance, there is another resort that has smaller weight, and apparently here is the problem. However, without even excluding agreement or disagreements over the president's figure, which is likely to be reached and should be part of the deal, because it also paves the way for its coalition stability after a year and a half when it is time to complete the mandate of current President”, he says.

Similarly, Alija says both political parties know that their only option is to reach the coalition, as according to him, they do not have any second option.

It's normal because being and competing in elections itself, and winning votes is done by means of a political subject's plan and then by dividing the designated resorts to push forward those policies that are promoted to citizens and have won votes. We have here in view of the Vetevendosje Movement and its campaign, the fight against corruption and organised crime, which all goes to the Ministry of Justice and therefore the Ministry of Internal Affairs. So here we have our own political programmes, it's perfectly normal in the context where we're at the two political subjects disagree over the division of the resorts. What's not normal is their approach to opinion and electorate, once we've had statements that everything is ready and to the extent of 100 percent that have been agreed on, but we've now seen not everything coming up and not everything has gone to 100 percent of the consent”, he says.

We remember that the Central Election Commission has made the Certificate of the 6 October elections on 27 November, where the Vetevendosje Movement has emerged the first party, followed by the LDK as the second party and the PDK as the third party.