Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stated his party will not nominate a candidate to form a new government any time soon while he is struggling with the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
“We will respond to the president at an appropriate time, but I cannot say that we will do so now. We will not leave the president without an answer, but the country can’t be left without good governance,” Kurti told RFE/RL on Thursday.
His government was ousted on March 25 after junior coalition partner Democratic League of Kosovo brought a no confidence vote following disagreement between Kurti and US special envoy Richard Grenell on lifting tariffs on Serbian goods.
President Hashim Thaçi has called for a government of national unity. He has officially asked Kurti’s Movement for Self-Determination (LVV), the largest party, to nominate a new prime minister.
LVV argues that the Constitution requires the President to declare new elections after the crisis instead of mandating parties to form a new government. However, on Friday Thaçi sent a second letter to Kurti, reminding him to submit a nominee.
In case LVV fails to get 61 of 120 MPs’ votes, the second largest party, LDK would be mandated to form a government. LDK has allegedly agreed with some opposition parties on a coalition.
LVV accuses Thaçi of attempting to enable the creation of a government without the largest party, instead of calling for new elections after the coronavirus crisis.
“The emergency was to fight this pandemic, not to overthrow the government, and pulling the strings to get a new government the way the president is doing, is even less urgent,” Kurti said.
The Constitution does not set a deadline for LVV to submit a nominee for prime minister, and the party has suggested it could try to resist for as long as possible during the coronavirus crisis. Getting enough votes for a new government appears very difficult, given that LVV has refused any coalition with other parties.
Different interpretations of the Constitution by Kurti and Thaçi could end up in the Constitutional Court.
