Kosovo’s Crisis-Hit Govt Threatened with No-Confidence Vote

The leader of the junior partner in Kosovo's coalition government, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, said on Wednesday evening that he will file a motion for a no-confidence vote after one of the party's ministers was sacked from the cabinet.

The threat came after Prime Minister Albin Kurti, from the main ruling Vetevendosje party, sacked Interior Minister Agim Veliu, an LDK politician, on Wednesday amid a disagreement over how to tackle the coronavirus crisis.

Kurti said that Veliu was dismissed because he had undermined the government by publicly supporting the idea of declaring a state of emergency, and because he had spread panic about the coronavirus epidemic.

The idea of imposing a state of emergency was proposed by Kurti's political rival, President Hashim Thaci. If a state of emergency is declared, the government's power shifts to Kosovo's Security Council, which is chaired by Thaci.

Announcing that he would initiate a no-confidence vote, the LDK's leader, Isa Mustafa, said that he cannot allow Kurti to "mock one of my ministers every day and then dismiss" them.

He accused Kurti of breaching the coalition agreement, which he said included assurances that no minister could be dismissed without prior consultation and the approval of LDK's leadership.

He said however that the LDK will remain in government "until we get through this situation with the coronavirus".

The no-confidence motion needs 40 signatures from MPs to be sent the Kosovo Assembly for a vote and 61 votes, in a 120-seat parlimant to pass. The LDK only has 28 lawmakers in the legislature.

Two prominent LDK politicians have indicated that they do not support the motion. Parliamentary speaker Vjosa Osmani told BIRN that she did not vote for the...