Kosovo heads to third election in 18 months amid impasse

Kosovo will hold its third parliamentary election in 18 months this weekend as frustration grows over a continued political impasse in the small Balkan country that is aspiring to move closer to the European Union and NATO.

The early parliamentary vote on Sunday was scheduled after Kosovo’s main political parties failed to agree on who should replace former President Vjosa Osmani, whose mandate ended in late March.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s centre-left Vetevendosje party has held a clear parliamentary majority since the early election in December. But the president in Kosovo is appointed by at least 80 lawmakers in the 120-member Parliament, a majority that neither Kurti nor the opposition could muster. While the key players blamed each other for the crisis, their inability to reach a compromise has fuelled disappointment among Kosovo’s around 2 million voters, who want the government to focus on the economy and living standards instead.

Vlora Kryeziu, a businessperson from the capital Pristina, laments that "the same scenario is being repeated." "We will for sure have the same result," Kryeziu, 52, said.