The Assembly of Kosovo is expected to resume the constitution process today (September 9), after more than a month of institutional blockade. The follow-up session is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., while at the center of it will be securing votes for the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the Assembly. Participation in the session has been confirmed by the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV), the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Meanwhile, the Alliance has announced that it will boycott the session. The participation of the LVV is considered decisive for the continuation of the process, since the entity that came first in the June 7 elections has the largest number of deputies and remains the main actor in determining the leadership of the Assembly.
The chairman of the LVV and the acting prime minister, Albin Kurti, has stated earlier that his party has not reached an agreement with other political entities on the composition of the leadership of the Assembly. The chairman of PDK, Bedri Hamza, has confirmed that the MPs of this party will participate in Wednesday’s session. He emphasized that the constitution of the Assembly is necessary and that Kosovo must have functional institutions as soon as possible. The PDK has also announced that it will propose Vlora Çitaku for the position of the deputy speaker of the Assembly, insisting that her candidacy was submitted within the specified deadline.
The LDK has also confirmed the participation. Deputy Jehona Lushtaku has stated that the parliamentary group will be present and will contribute to the completion of the constitution process. Meanwhile, the Alliance has decided not to participate in today’s session. Its chairman, Ardian Gjini, has stated that the vast majority of deputies and members of the presidency have supported the decision to boycott. According to him, participation would mean the legitimization of what he described as a continuous violation of the Constitution by the party that won the elections. Early parliamentary elections in Kosovo were held on June 7, while the results were certified by the Central Election Commission on July 8.
According to the interpretation of the Constitutional Court, the Assembly had to be constituted within 30 days from the certification of the results, with a final deadline of August 7. The first session of the new legislature was convened on August 6, but due to the impossibility of electing the president and vice presidents, the process remained unfinished. The session continued on August 8 under the direction of Avni Dehari, but even then there was no result. After several weeks of blockade and political pressure, on September 4 Dehari announced that the continuation of the session would be held on September 9.
