The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AKK) has proposed its leader Ramush Haradinaj to be Kosovo’s next president.
The AAK steering council also authorized Haradinaj to lead coalition negotiations for a possible government reshuffle.
Both these proposals – government reshuffle and presidential candidacy – come after AAK’s repeated criticism against the coalition government headed by Avdullah Hoti over the dialogue with Serbia, and following war crime indictments against President Hashim Thaci and opposition PDK leader Kadri Veseli.
Whilst no other party in the governing coalition has asked for a reshuffle, it seems like Haradinaj is pushing to include negotiations for the election of the next president in eventual talks.
Haradinaj said he was honored by his party’s decision.
The issue of the next president is brought to the table under the influence of the indictment against Thaci, who has vowed to resign if charges are confirmed. Thaci’s presidential term ends in April 2021, but he may cut it short if the court confirms the war crime charges this autumn.
Candidates for president need signatures of 30 MPs in the 120-seat parliament.
The president is elected with two-thirds of the votes. If no one receives two-thirds in the first two votes, the president is elected with a simple majority of 61 vites. If this vote also fails, then early elections are held.
The governing coalition (LDK, AAK, NISMA, Lista Srpska and other minority parties) are eager to avoid early elections.
Vetevendosje, the largest party in parliament, is pushing for a no-confidence vote against the government, but opposition PDK is not supporting it.
