The Kosovo Assembly has failed to elect a deputy speaker from the Serbian community. None of the MPs from the Serbian community received the required majority to be elected deputy speaker, while the Assembly was nevertheless considered consolidated by Speaker Dimal Basha.

During the continuation of the constitutive session, neither Miljana Nikoliq — who was put to a vote three times — nor Nenad Rashiq, who had his final chance today, nor Igor Simiq, who was voted on twice today, managed to secure enough votes.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Dimal Basha, ahead of the voting, called on MPs to overcome this challenge and move forward with the work.

For the third time in a row, Serbian List MP Miljana Nikoliq failed to be elected deputy speaker of the Kosovo Assembly from the Serbian community. In the first draw she received no votes in favor, 52 against, and 24 abstentions — the same result repeated in the following two draws.

When Serbian community MP Nenad Rashiq was voted on in his last opportunity to become deputy speaker, he received 56 votes in favor, none against, and 21 abstentions, while Igor Simiq received no votes in favor, 54 against, and 22 abstentions.

In light of the failure to elect a deputy speaker from the Serbian community, the Speaker of the Assembly, Dimal Basha, said that all options for the election of the deputy speaker have now been exhausted.

Basha also closed the constitutive session that began on April 15.

The constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly began on April 15, following the extraordinary parliamentary elections held on February 9.

Since then, there have been 61 attempts to fully constitute the Assembly. In the 59th attempt, Dimal Basha was elected Speaker, three deputy speakers were elected from PDK, LDK, and VV, along with a deputy speaker from the non-Serb minority communities. /B. Ibishi/