An opposition lawmaker threw eggs at Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti during a parliamentary session on Saturday, forcing the sitting to be suspended. The incident came amid a deadlock over the election of a new president.
DR reports that the session in Kosovo’s parliament was interrupted after member of parliament Time Kadrijaj threw eggs at Kurti. He was seated in the front row of the chamber at the time. According to DR, Kadrijaj shouted at the prime minister to be ashamed of himself while throwing them.
Security guards moved quickly to shield Kurti, and the live television broadcast from the parliament was cut. Kurti was not visibly shaken by the incident, DR reports. He said that if being pelted with eggs was the price of dialogue, he would gladly pay it.
The confrontation took place during a period of intense negotiations over Kosovo’s presidency. Kurti had spent several days in talks with opposition parties about選 a new head of state. As reported by DR, he was attempting to postpone a decisive vote when the eggs were thrown.
The deadline for finding a new president expired on Friday. Opposition politicians have threatened to take the matter to court after Kurti requested more time for negotiations. So far, the parties have not been able to agree on a candidate.
Kurti’s party, Vetëvendosje, received the most votes in the most recent election in June. Per DR, the result gave the party a majority large enough to form a government. Electing a president, however, requires a two-thirds majority in parliament, which the party does not have.
Third election in under two years
Kosovo has held three elections in less than two years, according to DR. The prolonged political crisis now threatens to trigger a snap election. Europe’s youngest democracy has been without a stable resolution to the presidential question since the June vote.
Saturday’s disruption was not the first time disorder has broken out in Kosovo’s parliament. DR notes that members of Kurti’s own party previously set off tear gas in the chamber in protest against votes. That happened during the period when Vetëvendosje was in opposition.
The egg attack put the parliament’s work on hold. No date has yet been set for a new session, DR reports. The stalemate leaves Kurti in office in an acting capacity while talks remain unresolved.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and its political institutions have repeatedly been tested by parliamentary standoffs. The current impasse centers on the constitutional requirement for a broad majority to install a president. Without agreement among the parties, the process cannot be completed.
