Kosovo headed for political deadlock on Thursday as lawmakers vying for control following last month's snap elections staged a walkout after failing to agree on a key parliament post.

Parties opposed to Prime Minister Hashim Thaci teamed up in the 120-seat assembly to back his rival Isa Mustafa for the post of parliament speaker.

Mustafa received 65 votes, including 20 from members representing Kosovo's ethnic minorities, prompting 37 deputies of Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) to leave the session in protest.

Rival lawmakers struggled for control of Kosovo's parliament on Thursday, as it sat for the first time since an inconclusive June election triggered a constitutional crisis unprecedented in the young state's short history.

An opposition bloc, supported by deputies representing some of Kosovo's ethnic minorities, elected the leader of the largest opposition party as speaker of parliament, but only after lawmakers from the party of outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci declared the session adjourned and walked out.

Despite all the commotion that has accompanied political and social spectrum, Kosovo has many things to be proud of, writes KTV editor-in-chief, Adriatik Kelmendi. “As a political spectrum and as a people we have shown with dignity that we know how to make democracy. We know how to hold good elections, we know how to accept results, we know how to make agreements, we know how to respect decisions of independent institutions regardless of whether they are up to our liking or not”, writes Kelmendi.

Naser Sertolli claims in his column for the paper that although recent general elections in Kosovo were hailed as being free and fair, they failed to result in a clear winner and therefore risk destroying all the progress reached thus far. In this respect, 17 July is the D-Day, says Sertolli as the constitution of the new Assembly of Kosovo will be the first test of political maturity. There will be a number of challenges in the first Assembly session, considers Sertolli, starting from the seating arrangements of political parties up to the election of the Assembly Speaker.

Kosovo took a step towards forming a new government on Thursday when parliament convened for the first time since indecisive June polls, with the opposition seeking a majority to take power from outgoing Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.

Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) emerged as biggest party from June 6 polls with 30 percent of votes, but three opposition parties have united in a bid to outmaneuver him.

Days of talks with a fourth party, however, have so far failed to produce a majority in the 120-seat chamber, raising the prospect of a fresh election.

Kosovo’s parliament should be constituted today, and scandals due to heated situation between Tachi’s party and Haradinaj’s, in no way will influence Serbian community. Beside assurances given by Haradinaj’s party to the international representatives that Serbs are with them, elected Serbian representatives repeat that they will support the option that secures the majority for forming the government.

Ten Serbian representatives still did not agree even who to propose for the post of member of the Presidency of the Assembly, or the head of the parliamentary group.

Decisions about personal solutions for the participation of MPs from the Serbian List in Kosovo Assembly will be made at a meeting with the Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic, said president of the Serbian electoral list, Aleksandar Jablanović. He added that the Serbian List, or the Serbian community in Kosovo, is entitled to one Deputy of the Assembly. According to him, at the inaugural session of the Assembly, which is scheduled for 17 July, the participation of all elected members is expected. 

“No matter which political option will form the government, the Serbian List has decided to take part in the government. The priority of the Serbian List will be work, in order to achieve the interests of the Serbian community,” says Dragan Jablaniović, a member of the team for the implementation of the Brussels agreement. 

Kosovo Assembly Presidency will meet tomorrow with representatives of political parties that won seats in the Assembly to decide on the agenda for the constitutive session set to take place on 17 July.

This was confirmed by outgoing Assembly Speaker, Jakup Krasniqi.

“Presidency has been called to meet on Saturday at 11 and it will prepare the agenda for the constitutive session of the new Assembly”, said Krasniqi.

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has prepared two scenarios for the post of Assembly Speaker. Although it is aware it does not have the sufficient votes to take the post of the Speaker, the party will not give up easily and has even decided who to propose for the post, Hajredin Kuci.