Kosovo Breaks Deadlock, Elects Parliament Leadership

Pristina, Kosovo – Kosovo's Parliament has broken an eight-month political deadlock by electing its full leadership, including a representative from the ethnic Serb minority, paving the way for a new government.

The deadlock persisted even after Parliament had selected its leadership team in August. A key requirement was unmet: electing a representative from the ethnic Serb minority as mandated by Kosovo's constitution.

On Friday, Nenad Rasic, from the small ethnic Serb party For Freedom, Justice and Survival, was elected deputy speaker. He secured 71 votes, while all nine lawmakers from the main Serb party, Srpska Lista, opposed the election, and 24 members from two smaller right-wing ethnic Albanian parties abstained.

Srpska Lista, which captured nine out of the ten seats reserved for the ethnic Serb minority, is closely allied with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his government in Belgrade. Kosovo's Albanian community views this alliance as a potential risk for further ethnic tensions.

The resolution of this impasse came after the Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to settle the deadlock within 12 days.

The prolonged stalemate follows inconclusive elections held on February 9. The left-wing Self-Determination Movement (Vetevendosje!), headed by acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, gained 48 out of 120 seats, down from 58 in the prior election, and fell short of the 61 seats required to govern independently.

Neither Kurti's party nor the main opposition factions have agreed to form a coalition.

As the leader of the largest party, Kurti will receive a mandate to form a Cabinet within 15 days, which must be approved by Parliament. Failure to secure approval twice could lead to early elections in Kosovo.

A new government is necessary to tackle economic challenges and revive European Union-facilitated discussions on normalizing relations with Serbia. Kosovo also faces upcoming municipal elections on October 12.

The 1998-1999 war in Kosovo, formerly a Serbian province, resulted in the deaths of approximately 11,400 people, predominantly from Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority. The conflict ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign expelled Serbian forces.

Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, remains a hotspot for regional tensions. While most Western countries recognize its statehood, Serbia, along with Russia and China, does not.

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