Same scenario: Vetevendosje says they have votes for government, then they have to find consensus for president

As far as government is concerned, we have the necessary votes. Therefore, immediately after the constitution's binding without wasting time we must continue with the procedure for the government's vote, while within constitutional terms we will also commit ourselves to reaching consensus about the election of president/es”, former head of the Vetevendosje Movement Parliamentary Group Arberie Nagavci told Radio.

The incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti's LVV is the winner of the June 7th snap elections with 47.13 per cent of the vote, or 53 mandates in the 120-seat Assembly.

The government's election requires a simple majority of 61 votes, so LVV could form an executive with the support of non-Serb minority parties that have supported the current executive.

However, voter turnout in the first two rounds of at least 80 MPs is required for the president. Disagreements over the president's election led to the June 7th early elections.

According to Nagavci, the LVV wants “to do everything” in its mandate to achieve the votes needed for the election of the new president.

Therefore, it is necessary for deputies who have gained the trust of citizens to be at the level of responsibility and to elect the president/en, in order to overcome the blockade we are in, to avoid even one set of elections and to continue working with full competence in all the” institutions, said Nagavci.

Kosovo has been leading the president since April, when Vjosa Osmani completed his five-year constitutional mandate. Meanwhile, parties are awaiting the Certificate of results to start consultations on the formation of new institutions.

Currently, the Supreme Court is handling several complaints and has until Tuesday to review them, while the Central Election Commission is awaiting its decisions before continuing with the certificate of results.

Speaking of these meetings among the parties, Nagavci stresses that party leader Albin Kurti will lead this process and will hold them “with the aim of finding the best solution for overcoming the” situation.

“LVV is not ready for wide political compromise”

However, politicologist Erif interprets this stance as a sign that LVV is not ready for broad political compromise.

I think if you go with this logic where there is no negotiation on building something positive, the result will be more or less like last year. So Nagavci's statement is the signal that they are unwilling to co-govern just to elect a president whatever he or she is. So it comes under LV's orders”, Arifi says.

The LVV wants the country to have a consensual president, and months ago it proposed two figures from civil society, Feride Rushiti and Hatage Hoxha. But because of failing to reach an agreement with opposition parties, LVV's presidential candidacy failed to get the necessary votes.

Regarding the president's election efforts, Arifi says Nagavci's statement is <x0) logic, without restraint, is political cigar”, while stressing that different parties have emerged on specific terms for co-operation with Kurti's LV.

What are party attitudes?

Radio Free Europe has sent questions to the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) regarding consultations on forming institutions, but until the publication of this article has received no response.

Header The PDK, Bedri Hamza, said the second largest political power is open for talks with all parties, without excluding even the LVV.

“I think that to have quick and stable institutions, there should be political agreements right now, still without the start of the constitution, forming of the Government and then electing President”, he said.

Days ago, he said that before talking about possible government co-operation there are a range of topics, such as wages and pensions, energy capacities, American gas, Kosovo membership in the European Union, which will have to be dealt with by the winning party.

By the LDK which in the election competed with Vjosa Osman as a candidate for president has several preconditions been set for an agreement on the creation of new institutions.

The leader of this party, Lumir Abdixhiku, in an interview recently given to Klan Kosovo, said strategic orientation, including American gas “, is the precondition of LDK's political existence”.

He said that projects and governing principles should be talked about, as well as the orientation of Kosovo in the next four years and then could be talked about positions.

Abdixhiku said that for his party to deal with the president, the vital remains to initially agree on the orientation the state will have.

Before we can deal with the president, we need to negotiate the orientation of Kosovo, strategic security policies, developmental policies and the nature of how we develop democracy in Kosovo”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Alliance has presented six conditions in exchange for supporting the establishment of new institutions.

The leader of this party, Adrian Djind, has, among other things, cited the condition that Kosovo accept the American gas project, the construction of a coal-fired thermal power plant and several other conditions dealing with the economy.

Understanding the logic of how this Government operated, none of those conditions, Mr. Kurti will be taken to base because it is then interference in co-governance. These do not want co-governance, but only want to negotiate for President”, says politicologist Arifi, commenting on the conditions presented by opposition parties.

According to him, “does not have normal opposition parties to give mutual support to the president without transformation and change in governing policies”.

The incumbent government is facing calls from the US Embassy, opposition parties and economic Comet to become part of regional initiatives of the US-backed liquid natural gas network (LNG).

So far, however, the executive has not provided signals that they are willing to join these initiatives, as incumbent Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli and incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti have mentioned the idea of gasification of local coal.

Politologist Dritro Arifi says the American gas issue should be one of the party's conditions for institution creation, because Kosovo alone is remaining outside this major US project. This should be one of the important points, but not only”.

According to him, if opposition parties vote for the president, and even if the LVV constitutionally agrees to reconsider the idea of American gas “you have no constitutional, legal guarantees that they will keep their word. In these six years, it has kept no promise before and after coming to power”.

If the parties do not agree with the president, the country risks going to the polls again. They would be fourth since February 2025.

According to Arifi, there is no climate or effort to build a positive climate for the country to emerge from this blockade.

According to the final results, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has won 19.44 per cent, or 22 seats in the June 7th elections; The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 16.69 per cent, or 18 seats; and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) that it has decided to use only the name Alliance 6.74 per cent, or seven mandates. / REL