Gashi: For president, LDK has made political decision, MP issue is individual

The Democratic League of Kosovo, during this week, made the decision not to make instructions in the process of electing the country's president.

The presence of LDK deputies at the Kosovo Assembly session, when voting for presidential election, is necessary for enabling quorum in the process.

Kusari-Lila: Existing MP presence in the process remains to be confirmed

Mimoza Kusari-Lila, chief of the Vetevendosje Movement Parliamentary Group, tells Radio Free Europe that LVV is working as soon as the signings for the session are collected, as she has called a successful “, which will release the next president of the Republic of Kosovo”.

According to her, Vjosa Osmani, who has been nominated by the Vetevendosje Movement for the country's presidential position, has enough votes to be elected president in the third round of voting.

However, what we need to make sure there are 80 deputies who will vote in the first two rounds, regardless of their preference in this case, for the fact that it is necessary as the process, which has been decided by the Constitutional Court's act. Now, we can confirm the votes, which are. They are majority votes for elections, in the third time. However, it remains to confirm the will and presence of MPs for participation in the voting process even for the first two and third rounds, when Miss Osmani can be won as president of the Republic”, Kusari-Lila said.

Gashi: LDK has political decision, MP opinion is individual issue

On the other hand, the Democratic League of Kosovo, during this week, has announced the political stance that its deputies will stay in the hall during the assembly's session for electing the president, as well as voting. The chief of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Arben Gashi, has reconfirmed this for Radio Free Europe. However, according to him, this is only his party's political stance.

“Politically, we have taken the position to participate in the session and participate in the vote. Then, whether there will be any deputies who have a different opinion is an individual matter. But the LDK political decision is that we participate in the process”, Gashi stressed.

Besides, the Democratic League of Kosovo's official stance, for the time being, is not yet known whether all MPs in this party -- which are 15 in the assembly -- will participate in the voting process.

Free Europe Radio has attempted to negotiate with LDK deputies Agim Veliun and Driton Selmanaj, but they have not been accessible.

On the other hand, in addition to the official meetings Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani, with opposition political party officials, as Mimoza Kusari-Lila says, there have been no other meetings to discuss the process of electing the country's new president. However, unless the necessary number of deputies present at the session is secured, the process of electing the president is successful, says Kusari-Lila, there will be no session for that purpose at all.

Until we have the full number, we will not enter such a process until we know correctly that there will be these votes or otherwise, we can enter the process without final confirmation. Then, what is the option, in the event of failing to succeed in the presidential election process, is going to the elections, which under current circumstances, are not seen as what will be useful for citizens or even for political parties in Kosovo”, Kusari-Lila said.

Osman Road to Run for President

The candidate for the presidential post is Vjosa Osmani, who in the February 14th elections competed with the Vetevendosje Movement MP list, winning over 300 thousand votes.

Vjosa Osmani earlier was LDK deputy chairman and this party's candidate for prime minister in the 2019 elections. But, in June last year, the LDK dismissed it from all party functions after Osmani had voiced opposition to certain party decisions, including the breakup of the ruling coalition with the Vetevendosje Movement and the formation of the new government, which was led by Avdullah Hoti.

On March 22nd, 2021 was introduced to the new Parliament, and the same day was elected the new government of Kosovo to head with Albin Kurti of Vetevendosje Movement. His government was backed by 67 deputies.

For the president's election, in the first two votes, two-thirds of the vote is needed, and it beats 80 votes for MPs.

Meanwhile, in the third round, president is elected who gets the simple majority of 61 MPs, but in all three votes at least 80 MPs should participate.

If even the third round fails, the country goes to extraordinary elections that should be held within 45 days.

The LVV has 58 seats in the assembly, while the Democratic League of Kosovo has 15.

The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo already has its position that it will not vote Vjosa Osmani for presidents, just as it has not voted the Kurti 2 government. The other opposition party, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, has said it will not support Osman for the presidential post.

The Ottoman vote has been declared the non-Serb communities.

As of November 5th, 2020, Kosovo has been acting as incumbent on the president, after Hashim Thaci resigned from this position after confirming the war crimes indictment and crimes against humanity from the Specialised Chambers in The Hague. Vjosa Osmani exercised this post, and after being elected to the helm of the assembly, Glauk Konjufca also took up the post of office of the president.