Barac: Without political manipulations, it will be hard to form new institutions in Kosovo

Srdjan Barac, associate of the Center for Social Stability, stated that forming a parliamentary majority for electing a new Speaker of the Assembly and a new Government of Kosovo will be possible only through “political manipulations”, but that the two processes should not be expected to be directly connected.

"After the elections, it is quite clear that forming a parliamentary majority will be difficult without certain political manipulations, meaning shifts in who supports whom, which list someone was elected from, and how they will vote when the time comes. I believe that is precisely why the topic of secret voting is being pushed," Barac told Kosovo Online.

Commenting on the claim by Nezir Kraki, an MP from the GUXO party, that the coalition around the Self-Determination Movement does not have a majority to elect a new Speaker of Parliament but does have one to form a new government, because "these are two separate processes," Barac said that this is why secret voting is being insisted upon, and he suspects part of the international community will also be involved.

"I think the idea behind secret voting for both processes is to allow room for negotiation, to maximize personal interests, even at the expense of public and societal interests. That says a lot about the level of political consciousness in Kosovo and Metohija," Barac emphasized.

He added that in such political "math," the only certainty is that no one can count on the votes of the Serb List, which will act as a counterbalance.

"The only thing that’s certain is that they cannot count on the votes of the Serb List, and the only real counterweight will be the Serb List," Barac stressed.

As for the names of potential "defectors," he said it is usually the one "people least expect."

"It is hard to speculate on names because it is often those we least expect who make the move at the last moment, especially if they receive that infamous 'call.' It will be a combination of personal interest and pressure," the analyst said.

He is also convinced that the votes deciding the new Speaker of Parliament won't necessarily be the same ones that decide on the new government.

"I believe there won’t be a cause-and-effect connection, rather, each political process will be negotiated separately, with distinct external implications," Barac concluded.