Baraliu: Elections are not a solution, approach to the problem needs to change

Political analyst Mazllum Baraliu stated that new elections are not a solution and that all political parties are aware of this, because, in his view, the situation regarding the election of the president of Kosovo could repeat itself even after those elections.

Baraliu told Kosovo Online that new elections will impose significant costs on both citizens and political parties.

“Elections are not a solution, and every party knew that. However, such is the structure of political parties here that they cannot reach an agreement, achieve a compromise or conclude an arrangement on potential cooperation in order to secure the quorum of 80 MPs which, under the Constitution, is required at the moment when the procedure for electing the president begins. This has not been achieved for months, and we have reached the point of going to elections. Not only is it regrettable and not a solution, but there will be major losses for citizens, as well as for political parties and the state, due to five election cycles in 16 months, whether at the local or central level,” Baraliu said.

According to him, there is a possibility that the problem regarding the election of the president could recur even after the new elections.

Therefore, he notes, parties would have to change their method in order for progress to be made.

“It is entirely possible, as Albert Einstein said, you cannot solve the same problem twice with the same methods. So, methods and the approach to the problem must change. The political situation we have is such, and the configuration is such, that no major change is expected. There is nothing to change. Whether it is a few percentage points more or less, again no one will have 80 votes to elect the president. We will come to the same problem again, and political parties will have to reach an agreement in order to resolve the issue of electing the president of Kosovo,” Baraliu concluded.