AFP, Pristina :
Kosovo’s failure to establish a government two months after an election is stalling its bids for greater international recognition and blocking funds for the poverty-stricken country.
A coalition led by President Hashim Thaci’s PDK party-itself in power since 2007 — topped early parliamentary polls held on June 11, but the alliance did not win the absolute majority needed to govern alone.
Made up of the old guard of ex-guerrilla fighters, the coalition can only form a government after nominating and winning support for a parliamentary speaker.
But so far the coalition has boycotted assembly sessions and a vote for speaker because it needs the backing of more deputies.
“The ruling political class doesn’t want to give up power,” said Agron Bajrami, editor of the Koha Ditore newspaper.
Kosovo, a former Serbian province, unilaterally declared independence in 2008, backed by Western powers. The move has since been recognised by more than 110 countries-but not by Serbia or Russia-and Kosovo is not a United Nations member state.
The UN mission in Kosovo warned on Wednesday that the political deadlock was hurting the country economically and socially.
“The election process itself consumed the energy of institutions during these past three months,” UN envoy Zahir Tanin said at a Security Council meeting.
“Important economic and social opportunities were missed during such a period.”
The country is a potential candidate for European Union membership, but it now risks missing out on pre-accession assistance totalling 78 million euros ($92 million) this year, according to the EU office in Pristina.
The office said the funding programme needs to be ratified by parliament and that this “should occur by December 2017, otherwise Kosovo will risk losing” the allocated aid.
Kosovo’s failure to establish a government two months after an election is stalling its bids for greater international recognition and blocking funds for the poverty-stricken country.
A coalition led by President Hashim Thaci’s PDK party-itself in power since 2007 — topped early parliamentary polls held on June 11, but the alliance did not win the absolute majority needed to govern alone.
Made up of the old guard of ex-guerrilla fighters, the coalition can only form a government after nominating and winning support for a parliamentary speaker.
But so far the coalition has boycotted assembly sessions and a vote for speaker because it needs the backing of more deputies.
“The ruling political class doesn’t want to give up power,” said Agron Bajrami, editor of the Koha Ditore newspaper.
Kosovo, a former Serbian province, unilaterally declared independence in 2008, backed by Western powers. The move has since been recognised by more than 110 countries-but not by Serbia or Russia-and Kosovo is not a United Nations member state.
The UN mission in Kosovo warned on Wednesday that the political deadlock was hurting the country economically and socially.
“The election process itself consumed the energy of institutions during these past three months,” UN envoy Zahir Tanin said at a Security Council meeting.
“Important economic and social opportunities were missed during such a period.”
The country is a potential candidate for European Union membership, but it now risks missing out on pre-accession assistance totalling 78 million euros ($92 million) this year, according to the EU office in Pristina.
The office said the funding programme needs to be ratified by parliament and that this “should occur by December 2017, otherwise Kosovo will risk losing” the allocated aid.
