4 yıl önce

Kosovo poised to elect Vjosa Osmani as new president

Prime Minister Albin Kurti, firebrand head of the anti-establishment Vetevendosje (VV) party, secured a landslide in February and law professor Vjosa Osmani is his candidate.

AFP

Candidate for the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani arrives for a parliament session to elect the new Kosovo's President in Pristina on April 3, 2021.

Kosovo's parliament has been due to sit to vote in law professor Vjosa Osmani as the nation's president with the backing of the anti-corruption, reformist camp that swept February elections.

Despite the victory, doubts remain if she will be confirmed president after two opposition parties threatened to boycott the vote.

A quorum of 80 MPs out of the 160 seats is needed for a presidential vote to proceed.

Under the constitution failure to elect Osmani, 38, would see parliament dissolved and legislative elections held with 45 days.

It would be the sixth general election in the former Serbian province since independence in 2008, which is still not recognised by Serbia.

Eighty votes needed

Prime Minister Albin Kurti, firebrand head of the anti-establishment Vetevendosje (VV) party, secured a landslide in February and Osmani is his candidate.

They can count on 58 votes plus several MP's from minor parties out of the 120 seats.

Eighty votes would be required for Osmani to win in a first or second round of voting, but that would fall to 61 by a third round.

VV officially convened the parliamentary sitting for 1600 GMT, but it had yet to start as the evening wore on and behind-the-scenes talks continued on, local media reported.

US ambassador Philip Kosnett urged all MPs to take responsibility and ensure a quorum.

Around 300,000 people voted for Osmani personally in the February polls, a similar number to what former president Ibrahim Rugova – considered the father of the nation – had previously won.

She stood in as president for several months for Hashim Thaci who was charged last November with war crimes.