The leader of the ruling Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV), Albin Kurti, and the leader of the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, have discussed "concrete names" for the next president of Kosovo, but declined to disclose them due to the "sensitivity" of the talks.
Kurti, the acting prime minister, and Abdixhiku met on Wednesday in an attempt to reach an agreement on the election of the country's new president, which would end the almost two-year institutional crisis.
"The talks will continue because trust has increased and it is the first time we have discussed specific names," Kurti said after the almost three-hour meeting in Pristina.
He said that "we are in a new phase, when we are talking about and with specific and specific names, which cannot be made public until there is agreement about them and with them."
While refusing to talk about the candidates' characteristics, Kurti said that "all of them are in line with what we have agreed on in terms of criteria, standards, principles, values, merits and contributions."
"So, everyone is a good personality, there are many good ones, but we have to choose the one who is excellent," Kurti emphasized.
Abdixhiku also emphasized that of the names discussed at the meeting, "I can say with full conviction that all of them, to a large extent, are in line with the principles agreed upon so far."
He added that, due to the sensitivity of the process, he cannot say who the concrete names are at this stage, "but we will meet again to finalize and elect the next president of Kosovo."
Meanwhile, Kurti warned of difficult talks ahead, saying that now "we need to talk in detail and extensively" due to the number of names the parties could bring to the table.
Due to disagreements among parliamentary parties over the successor to Vjosa Osmani – whose presidential mandate ended in April – Kosovo held early elections in June.
And it risks holding new elections, which would be the fourth parliamentary elections in the last two years, if a new president is not elected by early September.
LVV and LDK, after the failure of talks on government cooperation, held a meeting where they discussed the profile of the next president and said that they intend to come up with concrete names at the next meeting.
So far, several names for the position of president have been circulating in the media.
The names of Professor Ibrahim Berisha and the former Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly in 1990, Ilaz Ramaji, were mentioned, but both denied involvement in the process. The name of the former President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu, was also mentioned.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, has proposed the name of former President Hashim Thaçi for president.
Thaçi is in custody in The Hague awaiting the verdict – to be announced on September 16 – in the case against him and former parliamentarians Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, and former MP Rexhep Selimi for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, former ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, William Walker, has proposed that Faton Bislimi, from the LDK, become president.
The acting president, Albulena Haxhiu, according to the Constitution, can only hold this position for six months - until October 4.
The highest legal act in the country has not foreseen what happens if this period ends and the country does not have a new president.
The issue of the president was also the hottest point in the failed talks for co-government between LVV and LDK.
Now, LVV is seeking a consensual president, while LDK is also demanding that the new head of state not be affiliated with any political party.
Kurti's party won 53 seats in the last elections and, together with the parties of non-majority communities, has enough votes of at least 61 to constitute the Assembly and create the new Government.
However, the presence of 80 deputies in the 120-seat Assembly is required for the vote for the president of Kosovo to be valid.
With a possible agreement with the LDK on the presidential issue, which won 18 seats, at least 81 votes would be reached, enough to vote for the new president, if at least 80 of them remained in the hall. /Taken from Radio Free Europe
