Vujinovic: Osmani is deliberately avoiding the use of her powers, in a political equation with Kurti

Security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic stated that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has the option to resolve the political crisis by appealing to the Constitutional Court, but that she is not doing so because she is "in a political equation" with the leader of the Self-Determination Movement, Albin Kurti.

"She has not acted any differently throughout her entire mandate. That is, she has not intervened in the internal political crisis in Kosovo and Metohija. Her critics particularly highlight the fact that it was Albin Kurti who turned her from a political opponent into a political ally and placed her in the role of president. So, it was not expected that she would intervene within her constitutional powers," Vujinovic told Kosovo Online.

He explains that Osmani has the authority to request from the Constitutional Court of Kosovo a clarification of the legality of the secret vote for the Speaker of the Assembly, a procedure insisted upon by the Self-Determination Movement and strongly opposed by the opposition.

"The problem is that a decision made ten years ago allows Self-Determination to push for a secret vote for the Speaker. Given the political culture in the Balkans, that usually implies someone has been bought to vote secretly. Since the other parties don't accept that interpretation and claim that the provision doesn't imply that, it was to be expected that the president, within her constitutional powers, would request clarification from the Constitutional Court," Vujinovic said.

He adds that former Constitutional Court President Enver Hasani also points to this possibility.

"But someone must file the request for such a decision. Ms. Osmani is avoiding it because she is in a political equation with Albin Kurti," Vujinovic emphasized.

He also notes that Osmani is in the final year of her presidential term but has not yet expressed "how she sees her political future."

"She hasn't shown much desire to continue in politics, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to. In any case, I believe she would gain more political points among Kosovo Albanians through action within her constitutional powers, because no one can blame her for fulfilling her responsibilities. The fact that she is not doing so will cost her politically," the analyst believes.

Due to the deepening political crisis in Kosovo, he does not rule out the possibility that Osmani may eventually turn to the Constitutional Court.

"We have seen that there is some pressure from the EU and the US, her allies, for her to take that step. Whether she will or not, we don’t know," Vujinovic concluded.