In the coming days, the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the constitution of the ninth legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo is expected to enter into force. This will happen after its publication in the Official Gazette, from which the time limit will begin to run. Researcher at the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI), Melos Kolshi, says that expectations are that “the Assembly will be constituted and not go to elections.”

The KLI researcher emphasizes that, based on past practices, rulings are published within five to ten days from the notification.

The Constitutional Court announced the ruling on August 8, ordering MPs to constitute the Assembly of Kosovo within 30 days.

The Constitutional Court said that the Speaker must be elected through an open vote and that they can only be voted on up to three times.

This decision of the Constitutional Court has been criticized by Vetëvendosje – the party that came first in the February 9 elections – while it has been welcomed by the parties that have so far been in opposition.

MPs disregarded a previous ruling of the Constitutional Court, which had required the constitution of the ninth legislature within 30 days. However, the Court had not specified what the consequences would be for failing to implement that ruling.

Kosovo has entered a political crisis after failing to form new institutions since the parliamentary elections held on February 9.

The process has stalled at the vote for the Speaker of the Assembly, a position for which Vetëvendosje proposed Albulena Haxhiu, but she did not receive the necessary 61 votes.

Melos Kolshi from the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) says that changing the candidate for Speaker should be done in coordination with other parties.

According to Kolshi, early elections would be unnecessary.