Deadlocked parliament brings early elections in Kosovo

Deadlocked parliament brings early elections in Kosovo

Opinions are divided whether the early elections will result in a new parliament able to address pressing issues.

Kosovo is preparing for early parliamentary elections on June 8th. [Safet Kabashaj/SETimes]

Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga scheduled early parliamentary elections for June 8th in hopes of installing a parliament that can address key issues facing the country.

The decision came after parliament dissolved itself with 90 of the 120 MPs voting in favour of dissolution and only three against.

It was the only solution for the deadlocked parliament, said Driton Selmanaj of the Kosovo Democratic Institute, a think tank in Pristina.

"The assembly was not in a position to take decisions for many months as a consequence of the boycott by some MPs and parliamentary groups," Selmanaj told SETimes.

Two main issues parliament was not able to resolve include the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an army, and whether to extend the reserved number of parliamentary seats for ethnic minorities for two additional mandates.

"The majority had not enough votes to govern and the opposition had not enough votes to dismiss the government," added Teuta Sahatqija, an MP from the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo party (LDK), told SETimes.

Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuqi said the decision comes at a pivotal time and is expected to enable the parliament and the country to move forward.

"It is about a political consensus to move forward to elections at this time and in this way," Kuqi told SETimes.

But critics said the elections were called without reforming the existing controversial election law, and...