The acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, stated today that the Government and the Vetëvendosje Movement have always respected the rulings of the Constitutional Court, but hinted that the latest decision on the constitution of the Assembly could bring new political challenges.
Speaking in a more subdued tone to journalists, Kurti said that the executive he leads has never ignored the rulings of the Constitutional Court, while adding that even as chairman of the LVV, he has always acted in accordance with the decisions of the highest court in the country.
"There is no Constitutional Court ruling that the Government of Kosovo with me as Prime Minister has not respected. And, there is no Constitutional Court ruling that I, as the chairman of the LVV, as the largest entity in the country and the Assembly, have not respected. But, when they ask me again whether I will respect the Constitutional Court ruling, this makes me think that it will be unusual, unfair, unbearable, so that perhaps we should consider what we should do," Kurti said.
On August 8, the Constitutional Court announced that it had received a judgment regarding the constitution of the Assembly, but has not yet published the full version. According to the notice, the Assembly is obliged to elect the Speaker of Parliament through open voting within 30 days, while the same candidate may be put on the ballot no more than three times. The deadline begins to run from the day of publication of the full judgment.
Kurti described this delay as unusual, recalling that on June 26, in another case, the Constitutional Court had published both the notification and the full verdict on the same day.
"Once again, I reiterate that we have always respected the judgments of the Constitutional Court, but this time, unlike June 26, we only have the notification of the Constitutional Court and are waiting for the full judgment. When we read it, we will give our assessment on the merits. It is not good that we have this delay, and in my opinion, there is a discrepancy between this judgment and that of June 26, of the same composition of the Constitutional Court," he said.
The Constitutional Court's decision has been met with mixed reactions on the political scene. The Vetëvendosje Movement has called the decision arbitrary, raising doubts about its fairness. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) have praised it as a victory for the constitutional and democratic order.
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has described it as the overthrow of a "political dictatorship."
The publication of the full judgment by the Constitutional Court is expected to clarify the situation and determine the next steps for the constitution of the new Assembly, while the political scene remains tense and likely for new developments.
