Kosovo: Parliament fails to elect president before deadline, plunging country into political crisis

Kosovo's political life is plunged into uncertainty. The country's parliament failed, late Saturday, July 26, for the fifty-fourth time, to elect its president, just hours before the deadline set by the Constitutional Court, announced the assembly's dean, Avni Dehari.

The deputies, who had until midnight on Saturday to choose their president, met twice during the day to try to resolve the crisis, but again came up against the lack of a clear majority resulting from the February elections .

The Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination, VV, centre-left) party of outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti, with 48 out of 120 seats, did not obtain an absolute majority and has since been unable to find a coalition partner.

As a result, the Parliament resulting from the legislative elections met every two days as required by law, and failed each time to elect its president. However, no government can be formed without first electing the president of Parliament, since Parliament, once constituted and officially in office, must vote to approve or reject the government.

Europe's youngest country, which declared independence in 2008, is now plunged into the most serious political crisis in its history, with unpredictable consequences.

As of midnight Saturday, MPs are barred from voting or passing any measures, the Constitutional Court ruled this week. The order, which runs until August 8, is intended to allow the court to consider appeals filed by the opposition, which accuses Mr. Kurti's party of legislating without a proper legal framework.