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Contradictory interpretations over candidate for prime minister (Koha)

The paper reports on the front page that the Constitution of Kosovo fails to specify who shall be the candidate for prime minister in the event that none of the parties receives more than 50 percent of the votes. There are currently three interpretations about the way President Atifete Jahjaga ought to propose the candidate for prime minister. The first, supported by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), claims that the President should propose the candidate from the party that won the majority of Assembly seats, and if this party fails to gather the necessary votes, the President should propose a second candidate from the same party. The second interpretation argues that the President should propose a candidate who can prove that they possess the necessary numbers to form a government. The third maintains that the President should first give the opportunity to the party that won the majority of seats to form the government, and if it fails to get the Assembly’s endorsement, then a candidate from the second largest party should be proposed. President Jahjaga is expected to reach out to the Constitutional Court for assistance with the interpretation. One of the Court’s judges, Enver Hasani, said yesterday that the article specifying the way the government is formed refers to the candidate for prime minister coming from a political party or coalition that has won the majority of Assembly seats, and whilst this applies to the pre-election coalitions, it cannot apply to post-election ones.