Kosovo parties sign deal to form gov’t

PRISTINA – Reuters

Kosovo’s center-right coalition led by the Democratic Party of Kosovo has signed a deal with the small New Alliance for Kosovo party to form a government, ending nearly three months of political deadlock after an election on June 11.

“Finally Kosovo has started to move,” said Ramush Haradinaj, from the center-right coalition of parties made up of former guerrillas who fought the 1998-99 war against Serb forces. “We had some big delays and our institutions now will be formed,” he said on Sept. 4. 

Under the deal, the parties along with ethnic minorities will secure 63 seats in the 120-seat parliament. 
President Hashim Thaci is expected to give Haradinaj a mandate to form the government within days. A source who asked not to be named told Reuters the parliament session to elect the parliament speaker would be held this week.

Haradinaj, who twice stood trial before the United Nations war crimes court for war crimes and was acquitted, briefly held the post of prime minister in 2005. 

The smaller New Alliance for Kosovo party is led by Behgjet Pacolli, who is dubbed by media the richest Kosovar. 

Pacolli, who also holds a Swiss passport, won many contracts from the Russian government to rebuild state buildings in Moscow in the ‘90s but a decade ago he moved his business from Moscow to Kazakhstan. 
It is unclear what post Pacolli will hold in the new government. 

The new government will have to tackle unemployment running at 30 percent and improve relations with Kosovo’s neighbors, especially Serbia, a precondition for both countries to move forward in the EU accession process.