On Monday, September 14, Kosovo’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, asked the Constitutional Court to suspend the work of the newly inaugurated parliament, noting that the parliament was formed in violation of procedures.

PDK MPs Arian Tahiri and Përparim Gruda, together with lawyer Faton Fetahu, submitted the party’s request to the Constitutional Court.

“It is important that an interim measure is imposed first, so that damage and more serious situations in legal and institutional terms can be avoided,” Tahiri stated, questioning legality of decisions that could be taken by the new government, adding that it was elected by a parliament that the PDK considers improperly constituted.

The request was filed a day after parliament was constituted without electing its second deputy speaker, a position that belongs to the second biggest party, PDK.

According to the PDK, Vetëvendosje breached both the constitutional deadline for constituting parliament and the requirement that parliamentary sessions be convened every 48 hours until the parliament is constituted. 

Gruda warned that on Tuesday, September 15, they will also submit a case in relation to the formation of the government, seeking an interpretation of whether the government is legitimate and can make decisions if it was elected by an unconstitutional parliament.

According to a Constitutional Court ruling issued last year, parliament must be constituted within 30 days of the certification of election results. The deadline expired on August 7.

The speaker and first deputy speaker, both from Vetëvendosje, were elected on Friday. The PDK had nominated former foreign minister Vlora Çitaku for the second deputy speaker position, but withdrew her candidacy after Vetëvendosje MPs failed to support her in the first vote.

Vetëvendosje said late on Saturday that it would support Çitaku in the following session, however, the PDK declined to attend Sunday’s session.

With 53 MPs, LVV does not hold enough seats in the 120-seat assembly to form a majority on its own. Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti’s new government was voted on Sunday with the support of nine MPs representing non-majority ethnic communities.

The formation of the government has left the election of Kosovo’s president as the next constitutional test for the new parliament.

Re-elected PM Kurti, who secured a fourth term on Monday, called on political parties to reach an agreement on a new president and avoid another parliamentary election.

“After the regular elections of 2025, we have had two unnecessary elections. This is a blockade,” Kurti said, adding that another election would not resolve the current political differences.

“We are so close to a solution for the president that it would be unforgivable to go to elections again,” Kurti said.

“I appeal to my colleagues to elect the president. Another new process would not bring anything new. It would be irresponsible toward the citizens,” he added.

On August 31, Kurti reached an agreement with the opposition party Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, to support a joint candidate, former Constitutional Court judge Bekim Sejdiu as Kosovo’s new president. However, a day later, six of the 18 LDK MPs said they would not obey the decision of the party leader, Lumir Abdixhiku.

Under Kosovo’s Constitution, parliament has 60 days to elect the president. Failure to elect a president within that period would cause another early parliamentary election.