Deputy Speaker from the Serb Community chosen by drawing lots

Although the majority of MPs from the Serb community nominated Slavko Simic as their candidate for deputy speaker, since he failed to secure a majority of votes in the Assembly, Speaker Dimal Basha decided that the last of the five deputy speakers would be chosen by drawing lots.

After three unsuccessful attempts to elect a deputy speaker from the Serb community, newly elected Assembly Speaker Dimal Basha announced that the final deputy speaker position would be filled through a lottery.

According to the Rules of Procedure of the Kosovo Assembly (Article 12, paragraph 6), the candidate for deputy speaker from the Serb community is to be proposed by the majority of MPs from that community. The Serb List holds nine of the ten seats reserved for the Serb community, while the tenth seat belongs to Nenad Rasic.

Paragraph 7 of the same article provides that, in the event no candidate is proposed pursuant to paragraph 6, the candidate shall be determined by drawing lots, in the presence of MPs from the community concerned, with the procedure conducted by the Speaker of the Assembly.

However, nine of the ten Serb community MPs nominated Serb List MP Slavko Simic three times, but on each occasion he failed to secure the necessary majority of votes from the Assembly.

After a short break, Basha announced that the session would continue with the fourth agenda item—the election of the deputy speaker from the Serb community—and invited Serb List MPs to participate in the draw.

Basha noted that the Serb List refused to take part, but stated that the draw would proceed in the presence of the secretary and one MP. He announced that the first candidate selected by lot was Serb List MP Verica Ceranic.

He confirmed that 94 MPs were present, thus establishing a quorum, and called for a vote. However, Ceranic did not receive a single vote, prompting a second draw.

Ceranic’s name was drawn again, but the result was once more unsuccessful: 50 votes against, 20 abstentions, and none in favor.

The next candidate selected was Stefan Kovacevic, but he too failed, with 48 against, 19 abstentions, and no votes in favor.

The following name drawn was Serb List MP Ljiljana Stefanovic, but she declined to stand as a candidate, and her name was removed from the ballot.

Ceranic’s name was then drawn for a third time, after which she also withdrew her candidacy.

Finally, the draw produced Nenad Rasic of the Party for Freedom, Justice, and Survival. Basha confirmed that 95 MPs were present, after which Rasic received 55 votes in favor, one against, and seven abstentions. The Serb List did not participate in the vote.

Basha reminded MPs that 61 votes are required to elect a deputy speaker. Since the threshold was not reached, the session was adjourned. The next session was scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m.

Political analyst Albert Krasniqi stated that the procedure for electing the two deputy speakers from non-majority communities should be repeated, since in his view the method applied was not in accordance with the Constitution.

“Their election should be carried out in a single vote, as a block, for both candidates,” Krasniqi said.

He further stressed that the candidate from the Serb community can only be nominated by the Serb List, not by other parties.

“The deputy speaker candidate from the Serb community can be nominated only by the Serb List, which represents the majority of MPs of this community, and not by other political entities,” he wrote on Facebook.

Krasniqi also added that the drawing of lots can only be applied in cases where no proposal is made and must be conducted in the presence of MPs of the relevant community. He emphasized that without the participation of the Serb List, the lottery cannot be validly held.