Pristina, Kosovo — PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said Friday he will dissolve parliament to make way for early elections after lawmakers failed to elect his successor.
The development signals a new crisis in the Balkan country, which has already gone through a snap vote in December after nearly years of political turmoil.
Kosovo’s assembly had a midnight deadline on Thursday to elect a new president to replace Osmani, who takes office in 2021. The vote, held late on Thursday, failed due to lack of quorum in the 120-member assembly.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti attributed the failure to the opposition boycotting the session. His ruling Wentevedosje, or self-determination, party has asked the Constitutional Court to temporarily suspend the deadline for the process to resume.
It was not immediately clear when the court would rule and whether it might affect Osmani’s decision to dissolve parliament.
Usmani said in a speech on Friday that the situation was “totally avoidable” and that lawmakers had plenty of time to elect a president.
“It is a great misfortune for this state that they did not choose the interests of the Republic of Kosovo,” Usmani said. “I have issued an ordinance for the dissolution of the assembly and by this decree I am fulfilling a clearly defined constitutional obligation.”
Vetevedosje won early voting in December and formed an alliance with ethnic minority groups to form a new government in February.
The same party won elections in February 2025 but was unable to muster a parliamentary majority, leading to a stalemate and snap vote in December.
A former Serbian province, Kosovo declared independence in 2008 after a 1998-99 war that ended after a US-led NATO intervention. Serbia does not recognize the partition and tensions have simmered ever since.
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Joanna Zic contributed from Belgrade, Serbia.
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