Rapajic: Kurti does not want dual power or an important political figure in the position of president

Aleksandar Rapajic, Program Director of the NGO Center for the Advocacy of Democratic Culture in North Mitrovica, believes that at this point, Self-Determination and Albin Kurti do not want a prominent political figure to serve as president and that, if they want a president elected at all, they will opt for a non-partisan candidate.

"I think both Vjosa Osmani and Haradinaj are out of the question because that would create a kind of dual power structure, something Albin Kurti certainly does not want. He does not want a strong figure who could at some point challenge his decisions. If he wants to elect a president at all, he will go with a non-partisan candidate. If, however, he wants to force new elections, then he will stick to someone from his own circle who would not be acceptable to the other parties," Rapajic told Kosovo Online.

Asked whether there are any names Kurti could accept without losing the support of his voters, Rapajic said Self-Determination must weigh how much it stands to lose under each scenario.

As he points out, the most recent elections showed that Self-Determination's share of the vote dropped significantly, suggesting that the same could happen in the next elections, although the party's number of parliamentary seats did not decline.

"At this point, Self-Determination is weighing whether it is better to elect a president and establish the institutions, thereby putting itself in a position where it may have to make difficult decisions, or to continue prolonging this process in which the institutions do not exist and there is no accountability," he said.

He also stressed that the party which won the most votes bears the greatest responsibility for forming the institutions.

"We have seen a certain level of public dissatisfaction, but no dissatisfaction within Self-Determination itself. We do not hear any voices opposing Kurti, unlike the situation in the Democratic League of Kosovo, where there are calls for the party leader to face re-election and demands for accountability over the election results. There is nothing like that in Self-Determination. Instead, there is unquestioning support for Kurti and his policies," Rapajic observed.