The fifth attempt to constitute the ninth legislature has also failed. Albulena Haxhiu of the Vetëvendosje Movement has again received only 57 votes in her candidacy for Speaker of Parliament. The session will go to the sixth attempt to constitute the Assembly. It will be held on Friday. You can follow everything that happens around this session here.
3 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 11:24
Fatmir Limaj abstained for the Speaker of Parliament, gives hope to Vetëvendosje…
Photo: Driton Pacharada
The Chairman of the Social Democratic Initiative, Fatmir Limaj, has called the process of constituting the Assembly a “nerve game”, after the failure of the fifth attempt to constitute the ninth legislature.
“It’s true that it’s a game of nerves, but the constitution of institutions always has its own path and its own difficulties,” he said.
Limaj also said that he believes that in the coming days there will be a commitment from the parties to break the deadlock in the Assembly.
“Kosovo does not have the luxury of being left without institutions. I hope it will be found. Institutions are created through known paths, just like the civilized world does. I hope this will happen,” he said.
Limaj and two of his party’s deputies abstained on Wednesday on the Vetëvendosje Movement’s proposal for Albulena Haxhiu to be the speaker of parliament. Her name again received 57 votes in favor. The session was postponed to Friday.
3 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 11:15
Vetëvendosje Movement MP Mimoza Kusari has stated that Albulena Haxhiu has the legitimacy to be elected Speaker of the Parliament, after saying that she is the most voted woman in the current legislature.
Kusari added that Haxhiu has more votes than the AAK parliamentary group and “30.000 votes more than the leader of the PDK, Memli Krasniqi.”
“Albulena Haxhiu is the most voted woman in the last elections with around 125.000 votes. Three times more than Ramush Haradinaj, or twice more than the entire AAK parliamentary group. Her political weight and legitimacy as Speaker of the Assembly is indisputable. If compared to Memli Krasniqi, she is 30.000 votes ahead of him,” she added.
She emphasized that they disagree with the Initiative to vote for Haxhiu.
“The vote in the Assembly is public. Up until this moment, there is no agreement from their (Initiative) side for the vote, as you have seen,” she said.
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3 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 11:06
The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, has said that the candidacy of Albulena Haxhiu of the Vetëvendosje Movement for speaker of parliament is ununifying.
According to him, this is the reason why the opposition is also voting against her election as speaker of parliament.
“Haxhiu is not a unifying candidacy. The candidacy is unifying and this is hindering us,” he said after Haxhiu’s third failure to become parliament speaker.
Haradinaj added that he is interested in overcoming the impasse, but according to him, the obstacle lies with VV.
“The blame falls on those who do not have the majority and do not offer the option of cooperation. If they need our votes, they need cooperation,” he said.
He also commented on VV’s calls that if its proposed candidate is not elected, it could go to the polls. “Even to go to the polls, you need the opposition’s vote,” he said.
3 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:52
Vetëvendosje MP Hekuran Murati, who is also a minister in office, has stated that other parties are totally uninterested in overcoming the blockade in the Parliament.
He told the media that these parties do not want the Assembly to be constituted, while adding that “we all agree that the Government should be formed by the parliamentary majority.”
“The MPs failed to constitute the Assembly. There are some contradictions and paradoxes with the behavior of the opposition MPs… This is the behavior of the opposition, totally uninterested in unblocking the process, they do not want to enable the constitution of the Assembly… The fact that we have a speaker and deputy speakers of the Assembly means that we are dealing with political pluralism. We are seeing who is blocking it, that previous claims that Vetëvendosje will refuse to propose a candidate are coming out as untrue. We are seeing that the opposition is blocking it by not voting,” Murati added.
He emphasized that the VV candidate for Speaker of the Assembly remains Albulena Haxhiu “as the most voted MP in the current legislature.”
Murati called the LDK’s approach a paradox, saying that before the session they did not participate in the consultative meeting, and after the session they “asked for cooperation to break the deadlock.”
3 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:50
Enter Eid
Photo: Driton Pacharada
The head of the LDK Parliamentary Group, Hykmete Bajrami, has said that the LDK will not vote for any Vetëvendosje candidate who is proposed for Speaker of the Assembly.
Bajrami said that the LDK is not ready for a political agreement. While she accused the LVV of holding institutions hostage.
“A group of LDK lawyers is already in the process of finalizing the criminal report, I believe we will submit it very soon, tomorrow,” said Bajrami.
She said that the responsibility for unblocking lies with the Vetëvendosje Movement, as the winning party of the February 9 elections.
“There are 15 parliamentary parties. We have declared from the beginning that we are not ready for a political agreement. The Speaker of the Assembly must be elected by political agreement. These do not want it. There are 13 other parties. We have 20 deputies in the Assembly out of 120. There are others who are ready to enter. It is their inability to create a majority… We do not have a vote even for the partners of the Vetëvendosje coalition,” said Bajrami.
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4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:41
The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, has criticized the Vetevendosje Movement for blocking the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of institutions, accusing this entity of holding the state hostage due to its insistence on a single candidate for speaker of parliament.
“This situation is already regrettable. 72 days have passed since the elections and 27 days since the results were certified, but we still do not have established institutions. This has never happened before in the Republic of Kosovo,” Krasniqi declared after the constitution of the Assembly failed for the fifth time on Wednesday.
He emphasized that it is the responsibility of the VV to propose the candidate for Speaker of the Assembly, but according to him, the name cannot be imposed on opposition MPs.
“The arbitrary mentality of obtaining votes by force has no place in a democratic system. VV is the only party that, instead of an offer, has only made demands – both in the campaign and now in the Assembly,” he said.
Krasniqi stressed that PDK is ready to consider another candidate, describing as unacceptable VV’s insistence on a name that, according to him, has a divisive history, alluding to Albulena Haxhiu.
“If VV wanted to unblock the situation, it would propose names that are acceptable to the opposition, as Ramush Haradinaj has suggested. But VV’s goal is not cooperation, but blockage,” he concluded.
PDK demands that VV take the necessary steps to resolve the political crisis and bring forward a proposal that reflects parliamentary consensus.
4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:30
Albulena Haxhiu of the Vetëvendosje Movement did not receive a majority of votes even in the third ballot for parliamentary speaker.
It received 57 votes in favor, 46 against and 3 abstentions.
The session has been postponed to Friday, starting at 10 am.
4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:29
The Vetëvendosje Movement has once again proposed the name of Albulena Haxhiu for speaker of parliament. This is the third time that her name has come up for a vote. In the first two times, she received 57 votes each. 61 are needed.
“LVV proposes what has always been our proposal, Mrs. Albulena Haxhiu. I ask you all to support her and let’s break this deadlock,” said Konjufca during the presentation of Haxhiu’s candidacy.
4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:18
The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, has criticized the Vetëvendosje Movement for its approach to institution building, considering the inability to create a parliamentary majority with 48 MPs incomprehensible.
Abdixhiku said that in the absence of a political agreement, today’s session of the Parliament will still be futile.
“The first party has a democratic obligation to reach a compromise with the parties that have expressed their willingness for one. We, as LDK, have clear positions and different views with them, both on the approach and the vision for the future of the country,” he said.
The LDK leader also expressed surprise at the approach of the Vetëvendosje Movement.
“It is strange how a party with 48 MPs cannot achieve a majority of 61. What surprises me more is the way in which one day they accuse Albanian parties of having ties to the Serbian List, and the next day they demand compromise,” said Abdixhiku.
He emphasized that politics does not belong to the language of blackmail, but to the art of discussion.
“If I had 48 MPs, I would form both the Assembly and the Government, but without insults and blackmail. Politics is the art of discussion,” he declared.
Finally, Abdixhiku also alluded to the constitutional incompatibility between the position of MP and the office of Prime Minister, saying that a person who takes the oath as an MP cannot exercise the executive function.
4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:16
The consultative meeting, convened by the chair of the session, Avni Dehari, with representatives of political entities, has concluded.
After the meeting, the chairman of the constitutive session, Avni Dehari, said that “now we see” when asked what was achieved in this meeting.
According to the Vetëvendosje Movement MP, Hekuran Murati, “the positions were declaratively the same.”
Today, an attempt will be made for the fifth time to constitute the ninth legislature of the Assembly.
4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:06
PDK MP Nait Hasani said that besides Donika Gërvalla and Albulena Haxhiu, the other candidates proposed for speaker of parliament by the Vetëvendosje Movement are welcome.
“…We will vote for the speaker who is constructive, cooperative, understanding and an honor to the Assembly. Apart from Donika Gërvalla and Albulena Haxhiu, everyone else is welcome,” said Hasani.
4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:05
LDK MP, Lutfi Haziri, stated that the chairman of the constitutive session, Avni Dehari, “only has the role of leading the session,” when asked if he would participate in the consultative meeting.
“Avni Dehari has only one role, to lead the session as the oldest MP. We respect him for his age and contribution, but he only has to follow the procedures. He has nothing in his hands,” Haziri told the media.
PDK officials have said that they will go to Dehari for a consultative meeting before the start of the session.
4 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 10:04
The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, has criticized the Vetëvendosje Movement’s approach to the process of electing the speaker of parliament, describing it as not serious and delayed.
Haradinaj stated that AAK has offered its position to help find a solution, proposing two names as options for a unifying candidate, such as Saranda Bogujevci or Shqipe Selimi.
“I hope they vote for the speaker of parliament. We have given our option, but we have no other information. We have said that if there is a unifying candidate, we will vote for him,” he declared before the start of today’s session.
He emphasized that the position of Speaker of Parliament should not be treated as a political issue and should not be an obstacle to the constitution of the Assembly.
“They (VV) have postponed the session and have not taken any concrete action. Just half an hour before the start of the session, they have called a consultative meeting. This is not a serious approach to this topic,” Haradinaj added.
According to him, Vetëvendosje should have consulted with other political entities before proposing a candidate for Speaker of the Assembly, as part of a responsible institutional process.
5 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 09:42
Political parties have been invited to hold a consultative meeting before the fifth attempt to constitute the ninth legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo.
The invitation has been confirmed by Albulena Haxhiu of the Vetëvendosje Movement, who is this party’s proposal for parliamentary speaker. The Democratic Party has confirmed its participation in the meeting.
“We received the invitation a few minutes ago. Of course we will go. PDK and we believe the citizens are waiting for the unblocking of the situation created in the Assembly as a result of the inability of VV to create a majority. Unfortunately, these are only our concerns. And, the concerns of the citizens are the high price of electricity,” said Vlora Çitaku, PDK MP.
5 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 09:37
Naim Jakaj from the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) has requested that the Kosovo Assembly take urgent action to fully operationalize it and implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court.
Jakaj stressed that the Assembly should elect the new Speaker of the Assembly in today’s session, asking the deputies to reach a consensus to vote for the proposed candidate.
“The names of the vice-presidents should be voted on in packages, as the practice of consensus has been built for two decades or more,” Jakaj wrote, warning that avoiding this practice risks delaying the construction of other institutions.
KLI also demands that the Assembly approve tomorrow the amendments to the Law on Salaries, in accordance with the Constitutional Court’s ruling. According to this ruling, the Assembly is obliged to guarantee payment for work experience in the public sector at the level of 0.5% for each year of experience, with effect from February 1, 2024.
Failure to implement this decision, according to IKL, jeopardizes the rights of over 90 thousand civil servants in Kosovo.
5 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 09:35
The Vetevendosje Movement has not given up on Albulena Haxhiu’s name as a candidate for the position of Speaker of Parliament. This was confirmed by Haxhiu herself, as well as other LVV MPs who spoke before the fifth attempt of the Assembly to constitute a new constitution.
“We continue to maintain the same position,” Haxhiu said before entering the Assembly on Tuesday.
She has announced a consultative meeting with other parties, but has reiterated that they maintain the same position.
MP Saranda Bogujevci, for whom AAK has said it would vote if she were nominated for parliament speaker, said that “a group of individuals from other entities cannot appoint the person that VV has as a proposal.”
“Haxhiu is among the most unvoted women in our country, but at the same time she has long experience not only as a minister but also as an MP. If anyone truly deserves and has the support of each and every one of us on this journey, it is Albulena Haxhiu. A group of individuals from other political entities cannot determine the person or persons we have as a proposal. Why should other names be proposed? Has anyone asked me? Why do they take the right to make such proposals. Why should it be me and why not Albulena Haxhiu,” she said.
In the two times that the VV proposal for Albulena Haxhiu to be the speaker of parliament was voted on, she received 57 votes in favor. In the subsequent session, the VV requested “additional time”.
And the acting Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, said he hopes that the opposition has reflected.
“The constitution of the Assembly is not only the duty of the winning party but of all deputies,” said Murati.
5 h. ago / 23 Apr 2025 09:29
Vetëvendosje Movement MP Dimal Basha has stated that parties are obliged to constitute the Kosovo Assembly, saying that other parties are refusing, in which case he said they are blocking the process.
Basha told the media before entering the Assembly that the Constitution makes parties responsible for constituting themselves.
“The Constitution holds the three parties responsible for constituting the Assembly. This falls as an obligation on the parties to elect the presidency…They are refusing to vote. The presidency is VV, LDK, PDK. If someone wants to accuse them of blocking, they are the ones who are refusing to vote,” he added.
Asked if VV will change its candidate for Speaker of the Assembly, Basha said that Albulena Haxhiu will continue to be the candidate and “we are not here to fulfill their wishes regarding which candidate to appoint.”
PDK MP Vlora Çitaku also spoke to the media, saying that citizens should unblock it.
“This is a consequence of VV’s inability to form a majority. These are our concerns, and the concerns of the citizens are higher.”