Prishtina, Kosovo | Tirana Echo – The Government of Kosovo has fallen today after a motion of no-confidence in Parliament, opening the way for early elections in the small Balkan country which has been blocked by political deadlock over a controversial border dispute with Montenegro.
The coalition government of prime minister Isa Mustafa lost a parliamentary vote with 78 against 34 votes in favor of early elections, which will be determined by President Hashim Thaci, who is required to set a date within 35-45 days.
Apart from opposition parties, the motion was also supported by the current coalition partner the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) which until last year was lead by current president Thaci.
Opposition AAK parliamentary leader Pal Lekaj said that “this government has finished and this bad governance will be remembered for not taking decisions and for weakening the state. We will go to elections and I hope elections will be democratic and without tensions.”
The initiator of the no-confidence vote Fatmir Limaj of opposition group NISMA said the vote was the result of the majority of MPs, which now “opens the path for early elections.”
The government of Isa Mustafa who leads the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) was unable to pass a crucial border deal with Montenegro, despite EU and US pressure for months.
The opposition claimed the deal would give away a chunk of Kosovo’s territory to neighboring Montenegro.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and it is now recognized by 114 countries.Five Eu member states have refused to recognize the new Balkan state, fearing internal secessionist tendencies.
Serbia and its traditional ally Russia have been opposed to Kosovo’s independence exercising international pressure on many UN member states not to recognize the country.
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