TIRANA – Avdullah Hoti of the center-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) was mandated on Thursday by President Hashim Thaci to form the new government after the coalition cabinet led by Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement) collapsed in a no-confidence vote in parliament in Kosovo last month.
The new government of Hoti, 44, needs at least 61 votes in the 120-seat parliament to be confirmed. LDK leader Isa Mustafa made assurances that “the party has the majority of the votes at the Assembly (the parliament) to form the new government.”
LDK has already signed coalition agreements with the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) and Serb minorities, local media reported earlier on Thursday.
Arben Gashi, the LDK’s parliamentary group head, said he has asked for an extraordinary session to be held on Saturday.
Before nominating the new designate PM President Thaci had a meeting with the Quint Ambassadors which he announced in an announcement on Twitter as following: “Had a meeting with Quint Ambassadors and EU HoM to discuss current affairs in #Kosovo. Briefed them on the steps to form the new Gov in accordance with Constitution & laws, and emphasized that everyone must respect the constitutional order of Kosovo.”
Meanwhile, the outgoing Vetevendosje has filed a complaint at the Constitutional Court, saying Thaci’s decree is unconstitutional. It claims it is the only party entitled to form a new Cabinet and if it fails, the country should go to an early general election. The court is unlikely to hold a meeting before Monday because Friday is a national holiday.
The LDK finished second with 28 seats in last year’s election after acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetvendosje. Kurti’s government collapsed in March after only 50 days in power, losing a no-confidence vote initiated by the LDK, his junior governing coalition partner at the time, following disagreements.
The decision to nominate LDK’s Hoti as the new government head of Kosovo comes after a short ‘mysterious’ trip of president Thaci to Albania’s capital on Tuesday. No information has leaked on the reasons of Thaci’s stay in Tirana but it is to be noted that Behgjet Pacolli, head of the New Kosovo Alliance, was there at the same time. /argumentum.al
