Kosovo President Gives LDK Mandate to Form Government

Pressing on with his plans to form a new government without holding fresh elections, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Thursday asked the former junior governing party, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, Isa Mustafa, to name a potential mandator to form a new administration.

Presidential adviser Adil Behramaj confirmed the development to BIRN, saying the mandate was given to the LDK "in order to avoid early elections, maintain the stability of the country and in accordance with the urgent [need] to give the country a new government".

On Wednesday, after Thaci consulted with all the parliamentary parties, the majority told him they would agree to form a new coalition government to replace the administration of Albin Kurti, which was toppled in a no-confidence vote initiated by the LDK in late March. Thaci then declared that he would give the mandate to whatever "party or coalition that proves it has a majority in parliament".

"The LDK leader, Isa Mustafa, confirmed that he had secured a sufficient majority in the assembly; President Thaci, through a letter, has asked for the name of the potential mandator for the formation of the government," Behramaj told BIRN.

On Monday, the LDK leadership at a meeting decided that their nominee for the post of PM would be former Second Deputy Prime MInister Avdullah Hoti. "After the meeting of the presidency, [the LDK] has decided that Avdullah Hoti will be the candidate," Mustafa said after the meeting.

Thaci handed the mandate to LDK after the largest party in parliament, Vetevendosje, failed to submit any names to the President, although it insisted that it had not refused to accept the mandate.

The law requires the mandate to be given to the party with most seats in parliament, in this...

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