PRISTINA – Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the Kosovo Assembly was constituted after the expiry of the 30-day deadline and the MPs must also elect a deputy speaker from Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which had asked the country’s highest court to review the formation of the news institutions.
The Constitutional Court also found that the Government of Kosovo was elected in accordance with the Constitution and that the 60-day deadline for electing a new president began on 8 August and expires on 6 October.
The ruling comes after the Democratic Party of Kosovo challenged the constitution of the Assembly and the election of the new government, while also requesting an interim measure, which the Court rejected.
The Kosovo Assembly was constituted on 13 September without the participation of MPs from the PDK and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). A new government, led by Albin Kurti, was subsequently elected.
The election of a new president is one of the key political issues in Kosovo, given that the lack of consensus on the matter was among the reasons that led to the June elections.
Kosovo has had an acting president since 4 April, while the Constitution stipulates that the position may not be held in an acting capacity for longer than six months.
Opposition parties have accused ruling party of deliberately delaying the formation of the news institutions in order to push fresh elections towards the end of the year, when large number of members of Kosovo’s diaspora traditionally return home.
If parties fail to reach a consensus and elect a new president by 6 October, Kosovo will once again head to the polls, in what would be its fourth election since February last year.
