The growing political and constitutional crisis in Kosovo could reach another peak on Saturday, with the country having two governments.
In a coordinated move on Thursday afternoon, 4pm, just by the end of the workday and while President Thaçi was announcing his decision to mandate Avdullah Hoti to form a new government, Hoti’s party Democratic League of Kosovo submitted to Parliament a request for an extraordinary session on Saturday to vote on the new cabinet.
The second largest party out of the October 2019 elections, LDK said 61 MPs signed the request, which is also the exact same number necessary to vote a new government in Kosovo’s 120-seat parliament.
Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti of election winner Vetevendosje party is now heading a government that was voted down on March 25 following a motion of no confidence brought by coalition partner LDK. Vetevendosje argues that the forming of a new government is unconstitutional. They maintain that the constitution requires the president to call new elections, and that Thaçi has no right to sidestep the largest party and mandate other parties to form governments.
Vetevendosje has been waiting for a possible decree by the President to mandate a candidate from LDK, in order to be able to take his formal decision to the Constitutional Court to review. Today, they immediately submitted a request to suspend the process until the Court reaches a final verdict on the constitutionality of President’s push for a new government.
Tomorrow, May 1, is a national holiday. The Constitutional Court will not be working for the next three days, including the weekend. Therefore, it normally won’t be able to rule on the case before the LDK and its allies attempt to approve the new government on Saturday.
Furthermore, the Constitutional Court’s ruling might take days or even weeks.
Until then and amidst growing frustration especially among Vetevendosje supporters, Kosovo risks having two governments. This would set another paradoxical record during the coronavirus pandemic worldwide: Kosovo would simultaneously be the only country whose government was coincidentally toppled when the pandemic started, as well as the only one with two governments when the pandemic was taken under control.
