26 Oct 2010 / 09:04 Prime Minister Hashim Thaci stands accused of failing to resolve Kosovo’s institutional crisis more than ten days after his ruling coalition collapsed.
Pristina
Political analysts fear the delays to finding a resolution could leave the country without a budget for the coming year.
Halil Matoshi, a leading Pristina-based political analyst, told Balkan Insight: “Thaci has to create an interim government, otherwise […] the country’s budget might not be approved this year, thus creating many problems next year.”
Pristina
Political analysts fear the delays to finding a resolution could leave the country without a budget for the coming year.
Halil Matoshi, a leading Pristina-based political analyst, told Balkan Insight: “Thaci has to create an interim government, otherwise […] the country’s budget might not be approved this year, thus creating many problems next year.”
Kosovo was first plunged into political turmoil when the then president Fatmir Sejdiu and leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, resigned as the country's leader on September 27, following a Constitutional Court ruling that he could not hold the two positions simultaneously.
Acting President Jakup Krasniqi, a member of the leading Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, announced on October 15 that early elections would be held on February 13, but the institutional crisis deepened the next day when Sejdiu and his party decided to leave the ruling coalition with the PDK, Kosovo's biggest party.
According to Kosovo’s constitution, either the creation of an interim government or a decision to dissolve parliament, which would lead to a snap election with 45 days, is now expected.
But ten days on, a solution has yet to be found, leading to criticism of Thaci and acting president Jakup Krasniqi.
Political commentator Matoshi warned that the country faces more crises, including the non-approval of the budget for next year, if a decision is not made quickly.
Matoshi stressed that if an attempt by Thaci to create an interim government does not prove successful, then Krasniqi should allow the second biggest party, the LDK, to try to form a new coalition.
“If this does not work, then the country should go to snap polls 45 days after the announcement and thus the assembly would have to be dissolved,” Matoshi told Balkan Insight.
Another political commentator, Nexhmedin Spahiu, also suggests that an interim government should be considered, and blames the prime minister for not jumping at the opportunity.
Spahiu said that Thaci is probably expecting the international community to advise him on what to do next, while the international community is expecting Kosovo institutions to deal with the problem.
“The international community would like to see how long Kosovo can walk alone,” Spahiu added.
The opposition New Kosovo Alliance, AKR, has now made its own move to dissolve parliament and bring about emergency elections.
It needs the signatures of 40 parliamentarians to force the assembly to carry out a vote of no confidence.
Ibrahim Makolli, AKR’s vice president, said the party has gathered 30 signatures from MPs so far.
He added that none of the signatures are from the parties in the former ruling coalition, but he is optimistic that AKR can manage to gather enough supporters to force a vote.
“We believe that we can gather another 10 signatures and send them to the assembly and move forward with the procedures,” Makolli told Balkan Insight.
A government loses a vote of no confidence if 61 out of 120 deputies vote in favour.
Matoshi alleged that AKR, which is seen as a possible future coalition partner to the PDK, is “carrying out Thaci’s work” because PDK, although supportive of a snap poll, does not want to be seen to be causing the move.
Balkan Insight repeatedly tried to contact a range of high-ranking PDK officials, but received no reply.
Confusion over the political permutations reigns among the Kosovo public, with some predicting fewer votes in upcoming elections, while others saying they are more concerned about social issues than electoral postering.
Sadik, a cab driver, said: "I think that this situation is creating a big confusion for people. I think there will be fewer voters this time compared to the last polls in 2009."
A pensioner from Pristina added: "Whatever they [the government] decide, I hope they will increase our pensions.”
balkan insight
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