It seems the political situation in Kosovo has no solution, remarks in an opinion piece editor-in-chief of the Gazeta Blic news website, Adrian Collaku. He says that the “unprecedented” blockade by the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Hashim Thaci, the chairperson of the Kosovo Assembly session, Flora Brovina, and the President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, seems to leave no other option but to take to the streets.

British Ambassador to Kosovo, Ian Cliff, said that he does not know why Kosovo MPs are not in an Assembly session today to elect the speaker and its deputies. Speaking at a roundtable organised by BIRN on the implementation of Kosovo-Serbia agreements, Cliff noted that now that the post-election coalition bloc has given up the post of the speaker, there is no reason why election of Assembly leadership should be postponed. “I don’t know why the parliament has not convened today. I know they have a proposal for the speaker”, he added.

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has begun preparations for new elections despite the post-election coalition having withdrawn claims on the Assembly speaker’s post. A senior PDK official said that the party MPs will not take part in an Assembly session without an agreement on the government first. “PDK will not call a constitutive session. If the Bloc does, it realistically commits a constitutional violation”, the PDK unnamed official said. “We are also entitled to the Government. We will not go to the Assembly without an agreement. We are preparing for new elections”, the source added.

Advisor to Ramush Haradinaj, Avni Arifi, said that the post-election coalition bloc has not taken any decision to give up the post of Assembly speaker, as some media reported today. Arifi also said that the Bloc was supposed to meet this afternoon but the meeting is not yet confirmed as one of the Bloc’s members is absent. As a result, Arifi said that the meeting could be postponed for tomorrow or the coming days.

Columnist Donik Sallova writes today that for the first time since June elections, last week the parties of the VLAN coalition showed signs of giving up on the demand to have the post of Assembly speaker by claiming that the key objective of the coalition is to undertake reforms so necessary in Kosovo. In a way, adds Sallova, the coalition bloc surrendered to the fact that constitutional procedures as well as the ruling of the Constitutional Court prevent it from electing a speaker from its own ranks.

KTV’s editor-in-chief, Adriatik Kelmendi, says that just as the June elections brought no absolute winners, so will the current political situation bring none of the political blocs as absolute winners. In fact, it turns out, elections produced only losers who, unable to form institutions, are risking making the people of Kosovo losers as well. Kelmendi warns that if the situation is not resolved in the next two-three weeks and new elections are announced for no reasons, it means that as of February, there will be no salaries from the Kosovo budget.

Head of Deutsche Welle’s Albanian service, Vilma Filaj-Ballvora, writes in an opinion piece that disagreements between political leaders in Kosovo seem to be matters of perception and irrational interpretations of the Constitutions by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), on one hand, and the post-election coalition, on the other. The entire debate right now is being focused on the post of assembly speaker and is taking place in an atmosphere of distrust and contempt. “This is not how democracy functions”, declares Filaj-Ballvora.

President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, will not call another meeting with political leaders just as the Assembly chairperson, Flora Brovina, will not call a session of the Assembly for as long as heads of parliamentary parties don’t sit together in an effort to find a solution to the institutional crisis.

Leader of Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK) and post-election coalition’s candidate for prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, said after meeting leaders of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) that he will Flora Brovina to call the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly.

He accused the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) for the current political situation in Kosovo. He said just as the party has captured Kosovo, so has its leader, Hashim Thaci, and Assembly’s chairperson, Flora Brovina, captured the Assembly.

Deputy leader of the Alliance for Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ahmet Isufi, said in an interview that the agreement with Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Initiative for Kosovo (NISMA) and Vetevendosje will not be reviewed and that the coalition is stable. Isufi said it is unfortunate that the President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, has not been more engaged and firm in her positions. “At the same time, I believe it is final time for the president to ask for explanations of the item 127 which is ambiguous”, he said.