Still no resignation from AAK Deputy Ministers

In a completely unexpected manner, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj resigned unstablely yesterday.

The reason for that was the invitation he says he received from the Special Court for interviewing, the quality of the suspect.

That Haradinaj decision, besides others, caught the ministers of his own party by surprise. At least that's what Periscope, the defence minister from the ranks of this party, Rrustem Berisha, has said.

He has been so surprised that when asked how they will now act as ministers, he gave vague answers.

Although such a decision was expected yesterday, none of these two ministers, Paul Lekaj, Minister of Infrastructure and Rrustem Berisha, the defence minister, made no sound.

Regarding this issue, Berisha has been talking about Periscope, has said he will expect procedures away, as they are currently in full support of Prime Minister Haradinaj.

He said that during yesterday's party meeting, it was not discussed whether he and Lekaj, as ministers from this party, should resign.

“And we will expect further procedures, once we are in favour of Prime Minister Haradinaj ... no no it is not discussed whether we as AAK ministers will resign. I don't know why it hasn't been discussed. Last night only was Haradinaj's case discussed, we had no chance to discuss the case of AAKA ministers... I don't know how we will act”, Berisha has said of Periscope.

While speaking of Haradinaj's resignation and invitation from the Special, Berisha has said it has been a very difficult situation for them.

I think it's really been a difficult situation for him and for us, because we've been working together a long time. He's had a lot of face to face with these injustices, but it's going to end well too, since we believe in his innocence, but it's hard... at the government meeting I've heard of. I've had no knowledge before”, Berisha said of Periscope.

To ask how he will act after Haradinaj's resignation, Periscopi has contacted the other minister of this party, Paul Lekaj.

He has not responded to any of the dozens of telephone calls made by the editorial.

In his cabinet, Haradinaj had only two ministers from the party. And, both with executions in effect. Lekaj for misusing office on subsidies issues as head of the Gjakova municipality, and Berisha was charged in the case of veterans' lists.

Upon resigning, Haradinaj called on President Hashim Thaci to announce early elections immediately. Prime Minister Haradinaj's mandate said he returned it to the people.

But what happens now?

Such situations envision the Constitution, which offers the solution to the outcome.

“If the prime minister resigns or for other reasons, his/her post remains at large, the government falls, and the president of the Republic of Kosovo, in consultation with political parties or the coalition that has won the majority in the Assembly, mandates the new candidate, to form Government”, is said in the fifth paragraph of Article 95.  

Based on documentation deposited in Central Election Commission, coalition representative The PDK-AAK-Nisma is chief speaker Kadri Veseli. That's exactly what President Thaci will be able to ask for the mandate's name to form the new Government.

But even if Haradinaj's AAK was not for new elections, the coalition could not make the government new. This is because the Constitution requires that the candidate for prime minister -- not later than 15 days after the appointment -- represents the composition of the government before the Parliament and requires approval by the Parliament, and that the Government is considered elected only if it receives the majority of votes of all Parliament deputies.

The Haradinaj government had taken confidence precisely from the constitutional minimum of the deputies' votes. It was only 61 out of 120 lawmakers, as far as the Assembly is concerned. Only a few months had preserved these votes, and for more than a year and a half the government functions without having the majority of MPs. In this situation, the coalition is unable to choose the new government.

Haradinaj has published the decision on resignations, but has said that on Monday through official paperwork he will inform institutional representatives and coalition partners. Similarly, to ask the head of state to announce new elections.

Now, the president's constitutional competence is only to seek the proposal for the new mandate./ P ERISCOPIA