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Kosovo gets new government, ends political crisis

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Kosovo's lawmakers on Tuesday backed a new coalition government led by veteran politician Isa Mustafa, ending a six-month political crisis in the former Serbian province.

The election of Mustafa, a 63-year-old economist, followed a surprise deal struck on Monday between his party and that of outgoing prime minister Hashim Thaci.

The agreement, which involved Mustafa forming an alliance with his main rival, unblocked a political impasse that has plagued Kosovo since snap elections in June.

A total of 73 lawmakers backed the new cabinet while 38 voted against it.

"The parliament elected the new government of Kosovo with Isa Mustafa at its head," parliamentary speaker Kadri Veseli said.

The government has eight ministers from Mustafa's centre-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and seven from Thaci's centre-left Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).

Another two portfolios will be held by minor coalition parties, while Kosovo's minority ethnic Serbs have a deputy prime minister and two ministers.

Thaci, a former guerilla fighter who has ruled Kosovo since it unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008, will be the face of Kosovo abroad as foreign minister as well as holding a deputy prime minister's post.

Mustafa faces an immense task to fulfil his pledge of turning around the economy of one of Europe's poorest regions.

The head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo  Hashim Thaci (L)  and the head of the Democratic League ...
The head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci (L), and the head of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, sign a coalition agreement in Pristina on December 8, 2014
Armend Nimani, AFP/File

A third of Kosovo's population of 1.7 million is unemployed and some 40 percent live in dire poverty.

Although Thaci's PDK came first in the June 8 vote, with only 37 seats in the 120-strong parliament it was unable to form a ruling coalition that backed him as prime minister.

The LDK, which won 30 seats, than formed a bloc with three other opposition parties aimed at blocking Thaci's third mandate and pledged to form their own coalition.

But the constitution states that only the election front-runner can nominate the speaker of parliament, meaning the opposition was blocked from naming its own candidate and proceeding with the nomination of a prime minister.

That triggered a political crisis as under Kosovo law, a government cannot be formed until a speaker has been named.

After several months of wrangling, Mustafa eventually deserted his opposition allies and reached a deal with his main rival.

- Government 'kills hope' -

But analysts labelled the deal "unnatural" and said they suspected it was reached under international pressure, namely from the United States, and the European Union, which Kosovo aspires to join.

"It is not a government which inspires hopes, rather it kills it," analyst Enver Robelli told AFP.

Mustafa's political carrier started in the 1970s when Kosovo was part of the communist former Yugoslavia.

But this period is glossed over in his official biography and his opponents call him a "communist chameleon."

Kosovo lawmakers vote on December 9  2014 in Pristina
Kosovo lawmakers vote on December 9, 2014 in Pristina
Armend Nimani, AFP

Mustafa served as finance minister for eight years in the exiled government that Kosovo Albanians formed in Germany before their 1998-1999 war against forces loyal to then Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

Before he took to politics full-time, Mustafa taught for three decades at Pristina university, where he graduated with a doctorate degree in economics.

He made his political comeback in 2007, when he was elected mayor of Pristina and three years later took over the helm of the LDK. The party was dominant for years but went into decline after the death of its founder Ibrahim Rugova in 2006.

Brussels hailed the formation of the new government, and called Pristina to step up the anti-graft fight and pursue political and economic reforms.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she was "looking forward ... to the resumption of the high-level dialogue for the normalisation of relations between Pristina and Belgrade in the near future."

The issue is key for the former foes' EU bids. Last year Pristina and Belgrade reached a historic deal on improving their ties, brokered by the EU.

Kosovo’s lawmakers on Tuesday backed a new coalition government led by veteran politician Isa Mustafa, ending a six-month political crisis in the former Serbian province.

The election of Mustafa, a 63-year-old economist, followed a surprise deal struck on Monday between his party and that of outgoing prime minister Hashim Thaci.

The agreement, which involved Mustafa forming an alliance with his main rival, unblocked a political impasse that has plagued Kosovo since snap elections in June.

A total of 73 lawmakers backed the new cabinet while 38 voted against it.

“The parliament elected the new government of Kosovo with Isa Mustafa at its head,” parliamentary speaker Kadri Veseli said.

The government has eight ministers from Mustafa’s centre-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and seven from Thaci’s centre-left Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).

Another two portfolios will be held by minor coalition parties, while Kosovo’s minority ethnic Serbs have a deputy prime minister and two ministers.

Thaci, a former guerilla fighter who has ruled Kosovo since it unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008, will be the face of Kosovo abroad as foreign minister as well as holding a deputy prime minister’s post.

Mustafa faces an immense task to fulfil his pledge of turning around the economy of one of Europe’s poorest regions.

The head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo  Hashim Thaci (L)  and the head of the Democratic League ...

The head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci (L), and the head of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, sign a coalition agreement in Pristina on December 8, 2014
Armend Nimani, AFP/File

A third of Kosovo’s population of 1.7 million is unemployed and some 40 percent live in dire poverty.

Although Thaci’s PDK came first in the June 8 vote, with only 37 seats in the 120-strong parliament it was unable to form a ruling coalition that backed him as prime minister.

The LDK, which won 30 seats, than formed a bloc with three other opposition parties aimed at blocking Thaci’s third mandate and pledged to form their own coalition.

But the constitution states that only the election front-runner can nominate the speaker of parliament, meaning the opposition was blocked from naming its own candidate and proceeding with the nomination of a prime minister.

That triggered a political crisis as under Kosovo law, a government cannot be formed until a speaker has been named.

After several months of wrangling, Mustafa eventually deserted his opposition allies and reached a deal with his main rival.

– Government ‘kills hope’ –

But analysts labelled the deal “unnatural” and said they suspected it was reached under international pressure, namely from the United States, and the European Union, which Kosovo aspires to join.

“It is not a government which inspires hopes, rather it kills it,” analyst Enver Robelli told AFP.

Mustafa’s political carrier started in the 1970s when Kosovo was part of the communist former Yugoslavia.

But this period is glossed over in his official biography and his opponents call him a “communist chameleon.”

Kosovo lawmakers vote on December 9  2014 in Pristina

Kosovo lawmakers vote on December 9, 2014 in Pristina
Armend Nimani, AFP

Mustafa served as finance minister for eight years in the exiled government that Kosovo Albanians formed in Germany before their 1998-1999 war against forces loyal to then Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

Before he took to politics full-time, Mustafa taught for three decades at Pristina university, where he graduated with a doctorate degree in economics.

He made his political comeback in 2007, when he was elected mayor of Pristina and three years later took over the helm of the LDK. The party was dominant for years but went into decline after the death of its founder Ibrahim Rugova in 2006.

Brussels hailed the formation of the new government, and called Pristina to step up the anti-graft fight and pursue political and economic reforms.

The bloc’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she was “looking forward … to the resumption of the high-level dialogue for the normalisation of relations between Pristina and Belgrade in the near future.”

The issue is key for the former foes’ EU bids. Last year Pristina and Belgrade reached a historic deal on improving their ties, brokered by the EU.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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