Political parties ready for elections await President Thaci's decision

The outgoing prime minister, Haradinaj, has already handed the formal letter to the Kosovo Parliament and the President's Office, through which he has officially submitted his resignation, as he has called it, irrevocable.

In cases where the prime minister resigns, the Kosovo Constitution has not been set a deadline, when the president should start procedures and announce early elections.

Enver Hoxhaj, deputy prime minister in the government of the outgoing prime minister, Haradinaj, and at the same time deputy chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the biggest political subject within the ruling coalition, tells Radio Free Europe that the steps his party will take, but other political spectrum parties are clearly defined in the country's Constitution.

He emphasises that he expects the country's president to start consultation with political parties and therefore to clarify when early elections will be held. Political Will The PDK, according to him, is that early elections are inevitable, but what the calendar of election-related developments will look like, as he says, remains in the president's hand to define it.

I think what it takes, is to have real consultation between political subjects, about what the calendar will look like in the coming days, when the president can eventually start consulting political subjects in a particular way. Then it's up to the president to implement the Constitution. I don't want to speculate what step should be first or second, but rather this process is actually in the hands of the president. For our part, like the PDK, there is full determination and we are willing to go to the elections”, Hoxhaj stressed.

Ilir Dedaj, independent deputy of the Kosovo Assembly, speaking of Radio Free Europe, stresses that the country's president soon has to start consulting the country's political parties, to see if a new government can be created and that if such is possible, then he must announce the new elections.

This, I suppose, could end if there is political will within this week. With the constitution, in early elections it is immediately taken in case the no-confidence motion is voted. While, when there is the prime minister's resignation, there are two rounds of consultations. The first, the president calls the political parties to see if there is any possibility that the new government will be created, as well as the second round, which has to do with setting the date of the” election, said Deda.

Early elections have also called for the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, whose leader is Haradinaj, Social Democrat Initiative, but opposition parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Vetevendosje Movement. They have called on President Thaci not to put forward procedures in the process towards early elections.

But is the possibility of creating a new government completely ruled out?

Hoxhaj stresses attitude The PDK is that there is already a new situation.

It's up to the president to have consultation with political subjects and I don't want to give him advice about what option it would take to get by after such a consultation. But, in the early elections situation, we are ready”, Hoxhaj said.

Meanwhile, MP Deda expresses the opinion that in the situation created, there is no room for creating a new government.

“Kunda, if he chose a new government without elections, it would be political government. But there is no room for creating a new government and going to early elections. For me it is key to whether there will be a common opposition co-ordination and opposition agenda and a joint opposition list for the elections in September, as we are all expecting”, Deda stressed.

However, when the president's consultations process with political parties for a new government or early elections begins, there is still no response from the country's president. Despite Radio Free Europe's efforts to contact officials of President Thaci's Office, they have not been accessible.

Ramush Haradinaj, has resigned from the prime minister's post last Friday because he was invited to interview the Kosovo Special War Crimes Court in the quality of the suspect.