Haziri: Entering new cycle of political crises, inevitable elections

Parliamentary political parties are currently sworn in their positions on the issue of electing the new Kosovo president.

The Democratic League of Kosovo has warned that it will call other parliamentary parties at a table to discuss the issue of electing the new president. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, which is part of the current ruling coalition, has nominated its leader, Ramush Haradinaj, for the president's position and is continuing to insist on its proposal.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, subject to this opposition, has declared that MPs from this party will not vote for president from the ranks of ruling coalition parties. According to this party, if votes are required for the new president, then he should be its nominee. The largest opposition party, the Vetevendosje Movement, insists the country should go to the polls.

Haziri: We're moving towards the elections.

The deputy chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lutfi Haziri, tells Radio Free Europe that the idea of the party's leader, Isa Mustafa, is to invite the political parties' table to launch internal dialogue on electing the president.

The “is making efforts as long as possible, but we are waiting for party confirmation. If there is no deal, then there is no other option. We're moving towards the elections. They must be prepared, and of course they are all prepared (for choice). But they are not welcome for the country either for political stability. I don't see sustainable solutions can be produced after the elections. We will enter a new cycle of political crises. If there is no political will to solve problems at the table today, we will have the same problem again. Again, the parties are to withdraw to the same political positions”, Haziri stressed.

The Vetevendosje movement, so far, has not received any official invitation from the Democratic League of Kosovo for participation in a table of parliamentary political parties. This is confirmed by the party's spokesman, Kryeziu Progress. He tells Radio Free Europe, that the Vetevendosje Movement considers that the goal of this table is the ruling coalition's attempt to find a solution for the president, but that the main goal, as he emphasises, is to find a solution to the length of the current government's life. Kryeziu stresses that the Vetevendosje Movement will not participate in such a table.

“According to the Vetevendosje Movement, the way out of this situation is through new elections, with a new and reregistered Assembly and then, with criteria hired for a unified figure for the president. So, once we have a new site, start a joint discussion, first on the criteria and virtues of the future president and then identify these unifying figures that may be potential candidates for president”, Kryeziu stressed.

On the other hand, Kosovo Democratic Party officials have told Radio Free Europe that their position is already public and that they do not want to talk about whether the country will go to the polls or a solution for the new president will be found.

Meanwhile, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo officials, who insist that the post of president should meet their leader, Ramush Haradinaj, have not been accessible.

Maliqi: After the Elections, Again Crisis

Political development acquaintance Agon Maliqi, in a conversation with Radio Free Europe, estimates that even if political parties respond to a Democratic League of Kosovo's eventual invitation for talks at a table, their current positions could hardly be changed.

According to him, AAK's positions, The PDK, but the Vetevendosje Movement, has been given in the form of ultimatum, and now they can hardly be attracted by their positions, because “would fall into a bad position”. As Maliqi says, political parties will now only weigh their decisions, their estimates of possible election results and post-election equations.

My impression is that Ramush Haradinaj we've seen him and that's his consistent trait when he insists on something, he won't back down. Meanwhile, I see no interest in either the LDK or the PDK to enable Haradinaj the presidency. So in this context, I appreciate the probability somewhere in 80 percent that we will go to the elections, as well as some small possibility or some creative solution at the end, which at this point we are not looking at”, Maliqi said.

However, analyst Maliqi estimates that even after early evental elections, a solution will not be reached that could clarify the situation regarding the election of the new president.

This is where we're going to get into an even deeper crisis, because of the timelines and because of a framework of the assembly, where consensus cannot avoid Vetevendosje. But I think that's where we're going to get into a whole new situation. I guess that's what the parties are now negotiating. But it is seen that these may be the first elections without red lines, and the parties are calculated politically, in some form, with the possibility of co-operating with Vetevendosje. Although, I believe that each one of them would like to avoid”, Maliqi stressed.

The election of Kosovo's new president is now necessary, following Hashim Thaci's resignation from that position on November 5th, after the Specialised Chambers in The Hague confirmed his indictment of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The same day, based on the competencies given to the constitution, Kosovo Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani took over the post of presidential task leader. According to the Kosovo Constitution, Osmani could remain in the post for six months, until a new president is elected.