The Kosovo crisis, Euronews: The court will select “” amid secret and open voting

On July 24th, the court imposed a temporary move preventing MPs from taking steps for the constitutionalisation of the Parliament until August 8th, when the ban expires and a new decision is expected.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti's left-minded Vetevendosje party won 48 seats in the February elections, but failed to secure the majority in the 120-seat Assembly.

Since the constitutional hearing on 15 April, dozens of rounds of voting have been held without success. The incumbent prime minister and his party are still trying to avoid holding early elections.

Of course, we are not interested in new elections, if the decision is made to go to new elections, then we will respect it and move on with it. The Constitutional Court sees this as the only way to get out of this”, told aboutEuronews Saranda Boguyevci, deputy of Vetevendosje.

The crisis lies in voting procedures: Vetevendosje proposes secret vote, while the opposition calls for an open vote, as the Constitution predicts.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and President Vjosa Osmani have demanded a separate interpretation by the Constitutional Court, as its 26 June ruling failed to resolve the stalemate.

According to MP Daut Haradinaj from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), the election of Justice Minister Albula Haxhiu as Speaker of the Parliament is another key point in the severe clash between Kurti and the opposition.

Vetevendosje proposed the secret vote as a way to convince some opposition deputies to vote for its candidate without facing penalties from their party.

However, opposition parties rejected this proposal as unconstitutional, bringing the issue to the Constitutional Court as the possible arbitrator. But opposition MPs remained convinced that the crisis could not be resolved without new elections.

The only requirement was for the vote to be open and the candidate for chairman of the Parliament to be changed. I see we're going to the election very soon,” Haradinaj said.

Kosovo's “institutions are hostage to Albin Kurti's stubbornness. We have offered our compromises, but unfortunately, the leader of the ruling party rejects any ideas of co-operation,” said PDK deputy Vlora Citaku, broadcast the Express.

Kosovo and its future are far more important than Albin Kurti's political career and Albulen Haxhiu,”, it ended.

On the other hand, Vetevendosje deputies believe that a Constitutional Court ruling by 2014 has set a precedent that gives the winning party the right to propose and elect the Speaker of the Parliament.

According to them, opposition demands for constitutional implementation are only an excuse to prevent the formation of a new government led by Kurti.

“They rejected the coalition, yes. But in my opinion, they didn't have a valid reason why they refused, if we speak for the good of the country,” concluded Bogujevci. /Periscopi/