The Kosovo Assembly failed to elect a new president for the fourth time yesterday, prolonging the legislative crisis that has prevented the formation of a new government more than two months after elections without a clear winner.
Under Kosovo's constitution, the speaker of parliament must be elected before the winner of the election can be given a mandate to form a government. However, this has proven difficult without the support of opposition parties, and the political deadlock has further exposed the country's deep divisions.
In the parliamentary elections on February 9, after a heated campaign during which outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the opposition "animals" and "thieves", his Self-Determination movement won the most votes, but fell short of an absolute majority.
Opposition parties, which have said they will not enter a coalition with Self-Determination, partly blame Kurti for escalating tensions in the north of the country, which have damaged Kosovo's chances of joining the European Union and prompted sanctions from the bloc.
The divided political scene could lead to snap elections later this year if a government is not formed, Reuters writes.
Kurti nominated Albuljena Hadzija, the former Minister of Justice, for the Speaker of Parliament, who yesterday again won 57 votes, four short of the required majority of 61 MPs.
The next session will be held on Sunday, April 27th.
Opposition parties have asked Kurti to nominate another candidate if he wants their support.
“There is no political will to constitute a parliament,” Haxhiu said after the vote.
By law, parliament must continue to sit until a president is elected. After that, the president will give Kurti's party a mandate to form a new government.
If Kurti fails, the mandate will be offered to the second-placed Democratic Party of Kosovo. If they fail too, the third-placed Democratic League of Kosovo will get the chance. If all else fails, the president could call early elections, an outcome many analysts expect.
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