The failure of Kosovo’s Parliament to vote on the draft law six times- the law on economic recovery- shows that the ruling coalition remains fragile.
The government lead by Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti had 61 votes [a simple majority in Parliament], but recently they lost one as one of the MPs is serving his prison sentence for appropriating €26,000 through an NGO.
The last attempt to vote on the government’s draft- law on economy recovery was on Thursday.
Kosovo’s public broadcaster reported that only 58 MPs took part in the voting, and as a result, there was no quorum.
Agon Maliqi, a political analyst from Kosovo told Exit that the situation shows some coming moves the ruling coalition might make.
“I think this should all be seen in the light of attempts to reshuffle the government cabinet and possibly bring in the PDK [Democratic Party of Kosovo] into the coalition, which would also resolve the issue of the President,” Maliqi told Exit in a written answer.
Exit recently reported that PDK may join the ruling coalition if the war crimes indictment against its leader Kadri Veseli is confirmed by The Hague court.
“There is the will for that,” a senior official of the PDK told Exit.
“What we see in Parliament with the vote on the economic rescue package is a reflection of backroom negotiations and parties using the vote to show their teeth in these negotiations,” Maliqi said.
Maliqi adds that this situation brought fears within the smaller parties in the coalition, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo [AAK] and the Social democratic Initiative- NISMA over their share in government if a big partner as PDK joins.
“Yet some have also suggested that this deadlock also helps the [ruling Democratic League of Kosovo] LDK in its attempts to build a narrative justify the coalition with the PDK, which is controversial among the base,” Maliqi said.
However, LDK will give another try on Monday. The head of its parliamentary group, Arben Gashi wrote on Facebook that they could ensure 61 necessary votes and already requested an extraordinary parliamentary session.
