No reconciliation for the new president's name, parties drop short

No political readiness for organising a table called by Democratic League of Kosovo The LDK, to discuss the name of the new Kosovo president. All parliamentary political subjects have so far been declared that they do not vote each other's candidate for president, though no names have been proposed, except for the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo's self-declared candidacy AAK for president, Ramush Haradinaj.

There are statements and public insistence that they vote only their candidate for president, not another subject. This proves that the battle is taking place in the media and debate, but that there is still no readiness for the table. Time is running out and we are slipping into elections”, LDK chairman Isa Mustafa has indicated, following the failure of organising a joint table.

Haradinaj: Solutions Under the Constitution

AAK Chairman Ramush Haradinaj has already been declared to offer his candidacy for Kosovo president, and if that happens, he says he will no longer return to the party he founded after the AAK war. I don't see this as a concern for myself, for the political aspect, but for Kosovo. Kosovo has internal energy to overcome these. The aspects of the President's election issue will be resolved under the Constitution. As an alliance we have provided an option that is a political agreement. Next option is elections. If there is consensus from the parties we welcome if not understood we are in the elections”, Ramush Haradinaj has said.

Kurti: New president elected after citizens have spoken

The largest opposition party, Vetevendosje, requires Kosovo to hold elections, and then after elections, as the constitution in parliament envisions the new president to be elected. The leader of this party, Albin Kurti, who ruled Kosovo for only 50 days and was brought down by a no-confidence motion, says the fundamental reason to go to the elections is civic legitimacy for the owners of institutions.

It is extremely important that the new president be elected after citizens have spoken in a new democratic election process. That is because the current government has no legitimacy and the Kosovo Assembly has become dysfunctional. When we don't have bad governance, it's government failure. This government is unable to lead the country towards economic development and EU integration. The unity of the political Corps comes after choosing a government with civic legitimacy. Once legitimacy, then unity”, is said in a Vetevendosje statement.

PDK: No president deepening internal divisions

The other opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo, whose leader Kadri Wessel is located in The Hague accused of war crimes, does not want much to be included in the debate over the president's election issue. The incumbent chairman of this party, Enver Hoxhaj, calls “outstanding messages”, of other political subjects which claim that if there is no consensus on the president's name, the country goes to the polls. “The PDK will not become part of a process that would produce a president that deepens internal divisions and isolates Kosovo outside”, Enver Hoxhaj has declared.

Small Chances for Conses

But how do political analysts view this debate over the issue of electing the president? Blerim Burjani, the connoisseur of political developments, told the DW, that given the political parties' resentments, the odds are too small to have a consensus on the name of the new president. “Pak is hopeful that these parties will be able to reach consensus to elect a president from their ranks or have proposals for any non-party candidate. So the odds are small, given the huge resentments accumulated in this time period of government. VV was dismissed by the government, while The PDK was left without its leader, and at this stage there is no individual courage for consultations without its party leader, who is already charged by specialised rooms. Under the other side The LDK is not ready to forgive President Ramush Haradinaj's post, because in the end it wants for itself”, says Blerim Burjani. The instincts are too large and hardly a consensus will be found, Buryan points out.

Following Hashim Thaci's resignation from the presidential post after he was charged with war crimes by the Specialised Chambers, with (05.11) a task manner in that position under the constitution was formalised Vjosa Osmani speaker of the Parliament. So it is envisioned in Article 90 of Kosovo's constitution, but this cannot last more than six months, and if political parties disagree on a consensus name, then the country must go to the polls for a new composition of the assembly. It is mandatory for the president to be elected to be at least 80 deputies in the hall. If in the first two rounds the president's election, which requires two-thirds of the vote by 120 MPs, in the third round, the president could be elected by a simple majority of 61 votes, but, however, with a binding quorum of 80 deputies in the hall.