The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) will not support the candidacy of Vjosa Osmani for President.
After a long meeting with the representatives of the party on Wednesday evening, the Acting leader of PDK Enver Hoxhaj confirmed their stance on the issue, stating that such a decision is also supported by the presidency of the party.
The Acting President Vjosa Osmani, a former prime ministerial candidate of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) ran alongside Vetevendosje’s election list on February 14th parliamentary elections.
She is most voted person in the history of the country, by winning over 300,000 votes.
Osmani is Vetevendsoje’s candidate for President, but she can only assume the role following a vote by Parliament. The president must be elected by a two-thirds majority of all MPs, or 80 votes.
According to the Constitution of Kosovo, if a two-thirds majority is not reached by any candidate in the first two ballots, a third ballot takes place between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the second ballot, and the candidate who receives the majority of all deputies of the Assembly shall be elected as President of the Republic of Kosovo.
If none of the candidates is elected on the third ballot, the Assembly shall dissolve and new elections shall take place within 45 days.
Vetevendosje, which won the elections with 50.28% will be represented with 58 MPs, PDK with 19, LDK with 15 and Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) with eight MPs.
Kosovo Parliament reserves 20 out of 120 seats for minorities: 10 for Serbs, four for Romani, Ashkali and Egyptians, three for Bosniaks, two for Turks, and one seat for Gorans.
Most of the non-Serb elected MPs already stated that will support the candidacy of Osmani for President.
The Assembly of Kosovo is expected to be constituted on March 22, as a parliamentary session has been already scheduled.
This will open the path for the election of the Prime Minister and the President.
The leader of Vetevendosje and its candidate for Prime Minister, Albin Kurti was banned from running in elections, following a ruling of the Constitutional Court that stipulated no person convicted with a final decision by a Kosovo court in the last three years may be sworn in and serve as an MP.
Kurti’s new government cabinet needs to be approved by 61 votes out of 120 in Parliament.
