Krasniqi: Parties deliberately waited for the elections to end, alliances for the government could cause irritation in the runoff

The leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, has less than two weeks to present the composition of the new Government to the Parliament for approval.

While the deadline ends on October 26, analysts note a calmer and more favorable atmosphere for inter-party negotiations, following the conclusion of the first round of local elections on October 12.

According to them, these elections are also linked to the long process of constituting the Assembly, which was only concluded at the end of last week, after several months of blockade.

Albert Krasniqi from the organization Demokraci Plus says that the parties have waited for the conclusion of the local elections to avoid the impact that the formation of a central coalition could have on the municipal races.

"Alliances that can be made can increase the irritation of other parties so that they do not support them. And, in certain municipalities, where the competition is very close, this is very essential," Krasniqi tells Radio Free Europe.

Albin Kurti's Vetëvendosje movement emerged victorious in the February 9 parliamentary elections.

One day after the constitution of the Parliament, on October 10, the country's president, Vjosa Osmani, mandated Kurti to form the new Government.

However, with only 48 seats won, Vetëvendosje needs 13 more to secure a majority of 61 MPs in the 120-seat Assembly.

Kurti announced that, this week, he will begin talks on the formation of the Government, but did not provide details on which parties these discussions will take place with.

A few days ago, his party colleague, Albulena Haxhiu, ruled out the possibility of a coalition with the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Serbian List – the largest party of the Serbian community in Kosovo – but left open the possibility of talks with the Democratic League of Kosovo.

A possible combination between these two parties, especially in light of the results of the local elections, is also seen as a realistic scenario by analyst Krasniqi.

"If LDK and Vetevendosje reach an agreement for a coalition at the central level, they can be coordinated so that LDK has an easier race in Pristina and Vetevendosje does not have to fire up all its engines to win this race," he says.

Preliminary results from the Central Election Commission showed a close race in Pristina between the LDK candidate, Përparim Rama, and the Vetëvendosje candidate, Hajrulla Çeku, with a difference of around 700 votes.

As a result, the two candidates will face off head-to-head in the second round of local elections, on November 9.

There will be a second round of voting in 16 other municipalities. In some of them, the Vetëvendosje candidate is competing with the LDK candidate, and in some with the PDK candidate.

Afrim Hoti, professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Pristina, expects these two parties to be "part of the mathematics" of Vetëvendosje to form the Government and not other parties, such as AAK and Nisma, "due to their small political power."

"This is a one-way street, as long as they want to move forward towards the formation of institutions. The alternative would be to go to extraordinary elections, for which I do not think there is consensus or will among the main political entities," Hoti tells Radio Free Europe.

He explains that this stance is also based on the results of the local elections, which, according to him, showed that the "political map" would not change significantly even after new parliamentary elections.

Another determining factor for the formation of the Government, according to analysts, is the position of president.

President Vjosa Osmani's mandate ends in April next year, and according to Professor Afrim Hoti, she no longer enjoys the same support she had in 2021, when her Guxo list merged with Albin Kurti's Vetëvendosje.

"Therefore, the new circumstances bring the position of president to the negotiating table," he says.

The President of Kosovo is elected by the Assembly with two-thirds of the 120 votes.

If the candidate does not secure them in the first two rounds, a simple majority is sufficient in the third.

If no election is held then, the Assembly is dissolved and new elections are held within 45 days.

"So, I think it's more about the calculations of the political parties, which are based on their fear for the longevity of the Government, than about the major substantive differences they have in forming a governing coalition," says Krasniqi.

Kurti stated on Tuesday that he has not yet started talks with the parties on the formation of the new Government.

If he fails to secure 61 votes by October 26, President Osmani, within 10 days, must invite the parties to consultations and, at her discretion, give the mandate to another candidate who proves to have a parliamentary majority.

PDK, LDK, AAK and Nisma have sent various signals in recent months about the possibility of cooperation with Vetëvendosje, which has expressed willingness to cooperate with non-Serb minorities to form a government.

Radio Free Europe attempted to contact several senior officials of the LDK – the party mentioned by Vetëvendosje as a possible partner – but they were not available.

Kurti said he will not wait for the deadline if talks with any of the parties prove successful. /REL/