Agim Veliu

Chronicle of a defeat foretold

Workers place a giant electoral poster showing candidate for prime minister of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Avdullah Hoti in Pristina, Kosovo, February 4, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/VALDRIN XHEMAJ

Extraordinary local elections held in the municipalities of Podujeve/ Podujeva and North Mitrovica are seen as sending two signals; in one, they confirmed the growing popularity of Kosovo's biggest opposition party, Vetevendosje - and, in the other, Belgrade's continued influence in the Serb-majority north.

Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Relations and Bob Menendez, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, send a joint letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday that the Trump administration should ease its pressure on Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his outgoing administration.

The Kosovo government led by Albin Kurti was overthrown on Wednesday by a no-confidence motion initiated by the junior party in the governing coalition, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK.

The presidency of the Kosovo parliament will meet on Tuesday to consider the no-confidence motion against the government of Albin Kurti initiated by the junior partner in his coalition government, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK - which looks increasingly likely to pass.

Isa Mustafa, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, at the Kosovo Assembly in May 2017. Photo: EPA-EFE/ Valdrin Xhemaj

The leader of the junior partner in Kosovo's coalition government, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, said on Wednesday evening that he will file a motion for a no-confidence vote after one of the party's ministers was sacked from the cabinet.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Wednesday dismissed Interior Minister Agim Veliu amid a dispute over whether to impose a state of emergency which has pitted the country's top political leaders against each other.

The course of talks in Kosovo on forming a new government changed yet again on Wednesday when the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, made yet another proposal to its potential senior partner, Vetevendosje, this time about who should get the post of parliament speaker as part of the splitting of power between them.

LDK leader and prime minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa announced that  Avdullah Hoti would stand as the party's candidate to head up the  future government following a meeting with the LDK presidency on Tuesday.

"Their proposal, as well as mine, is for Avdullah Hoti to be the candidate for Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo" Mustafa said.