2021 Kosovan presidential election

2021 Kosovan presidential election

3–4 April 2021

Nominee Vjosa Osmani Nasuf Bejta Party Guxo Guxo Electoral vote 69, 67, 71 0, 4, 0

President before election Glauk Konjufca (acting) Vetëvendosje Elected President Vjosa Osmani Guxo

The parliament of Kosovo held indirect elections for president of Kosovo on 3 and 4 April 2021. The elections successfully concluded after three rounds, with Vjosa Osmani winning 71 votes out of a total possible 120. Three political parties boycotted the vote. Nasuf Bejta, also a member of Guxo, the political party Osmani founded, was the only other candidate who received a vote during any of the other rounds.

The constitution states that the presidential election must be held on or before 30 days prior to the end of the current president's term. This is the fifth presidential election in Kosovo since 2008, when Kosovo declared its independence.

Background

Hashim Thaçi took office as president on 7 April 2016,^[1] but resigned on 5 November 2020 after the Hague-based Specialist Chambers confirmed a war crime indictment against him.^[2] Thaçi had been eligible for re-election for a second and final five-year term in 2021.^[3] Speaker of the Assembly Vjosa Osmani replaced Thaçi in an acting capacity.^[4]

Electoral system

Initially, a candidate is required to receive at least 80 votes, equivalent to two-thirds of the 120 members of the Assembly, in order to be elected.^[3] However, if no candidate succeeds during the first two rounds, a third round is held between the top two candidates of the second round, and the requirement is reduced to a simple majority of 61 votes.^[3][5] If the third round also does not produce a successful candidate, the Assembly is dissolved, with new elections to take place within 45 days.^[3]

Candidates

Confirmed

• Vjosa Osmani^[6]
• Nasuf Bejta^[7]

Potential

• Nehat Idrizi^[8][9]
• Murat Jashari^[10][11]
• Veton Surroi^[12]
• Fatmir Sejdiu^[13]
• Ramadan Zejnullahu^[14][15]
• Vlora Çitaku^[16]
• Muhamedin Kullashi^[17]
• Enver Hoxhaj^[18]
• Vjosa Dobruna^[19]
• Behgjet Pacolli^[20][21]
• Jusuf Buxhovi^[22]
• Rexhep Ismajli^[23]
• Nexhat Daci^[24]
• Avni Spahiu^[25]
• Edita Tahiri^[26]
• Ferid Agani^[27]

Declined

• Ramush Haradinaj^[28][29][30]
• Hashim Thaçi^[31]
• Lutfi Haziri^[32]
• Rexhep Qosja^[33]
• Isa Mustafa^[34][35][36]
• Fatmir Limaj^[37]
• Albin Kurti^[38]

Opinion polls

Pollster	Date	Nehat Idrizi	Veton Surroi	Vjosa Osmani	Murat Jashari	Isa Mustafa	Vlora Çitaku	Ramush Haradinaj	Albin Kurti	Avdullah Hoti	Enver Hoxhaj	Other candidates	Undecided	Abstention	Lead
UBO Consulting	11 March 2021	–	–	48%	3%	2%	5%	11%	6%	2%	4%	9%	9%	–	37%
PIPOS	22 January 2021	–	–	42%	20.3%	3%	16.5%	8.7%	–	–	–	9.6%	–	–	21.7%
Riinvest Data Analytics	19 January 2021	–	–	57.18%	–	2.89%	–	11%	7.12%	–	–	6.21%	–	6.73%	46.18%
PIPOS	15 January 2021	0.1%	1%	40.1%	18.5%	6%	14.5%	7.6%	–	–	–	6.9%	–	5.3%	21.6%

Results

First rounds

The first round of voting took place on the evening of 3 April 2021. In total, 82 Members of Parliament attended the parliamentary session, thus meeting the necessary quorum for the election to take place. However, when the voting concluded it was established that only 78 MPs had submitted a ballot, thereby failing to produce a quorum for the results to be valid. The first round was therefore repeated, but only 79 MPs ultimately cast their ballots, thus once more not producing a quorum. Thereafter, the MPs left the parliamentary chamber and an announcement followed shortly which stated that the voting would continue on the afternoon of 4 April.^[39]

The third attempt of holding the first round took place on 4 April 2021. In all, 81 MPs cast their ballots and the quorum was thus finally reached. Of the 81 votes, 69 went to Vjosa Osmani, while 12 were invalid. Nasuf Bejta did not receive any votes.^[40]

Second round

The second round was held on 4 April 2021. The number of MPs who cast their ballots was 82, satisfying the quorum for validity. Vjosa Osmani received 67 votes and Nasuf Bejta received 4 votes. 11 votes were invalid.^[41]

Third round

Candidate	Party	First round (1st attempt)		First round (2nd attempt)		First round (3rd attempt)		Second round		Third round
		Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
Vjosa Osmani	Guxo	No quorum		No quorum		69	100	67	94.37	71	100
Nasuf Bejta	Guxo					0	0.00	4	5.63	0	0.00
Invalid/blank votes						12	–	11	–	11	–
Total		78	100	79	100	81	100	82	100	82	100
Registered voters/turnout		120	65.00	120	65.83	120	67.50	120	68.33	120	68.33
Source: Exit, Kosova Press, Kosova Press

See also

• Politics of Kosovo

References

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5. "Presidenca". Portali Shtetëror (in Albanian).
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15. [1] Archived 2020-09-13 at the Wayback Machine Gazeta Express, 29 January 2016
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27. "Ferid Agani propozohet si kandidat për President" (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 25 November 2020.
28. GazetaBlic (2020-07-13). "Ramush Haradinaj: Mund ta shqyrtoj ofertën për President, ndarja është evituar". GazetaBlic. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
29. "Ramush Haradinaj shpall kandidaturën për President të ardhshëm" (in Albanian). Reporteri. 12 August 2020.
30. "Haradinaj tërhiqet nga kandidimi për President". Exit | Shpjegon Shqipërinë (in Albanian). 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
31. "Thaçi flet për "problemin" me Kadri Veselin, Gazivodën, kthimin në PDK..." Indeksonline.net. 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
32. "Lutfi Haziri tregon se a synon të bëhet president i Kosovës" (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
33. "A është Rexhep Qosja njeriu që Kurti e do si president të vendit?". Periskopi. 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
34. "Isa Mustafa synon të bëhet President, pozitën e Kryeministrit t'ia japë Vetëvendosjes". Fakti Ditor. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
35. ""LDK-ja s'heq dorë nga posti i presidentit dhe kryeparlamentarit"". Indeksonline.net. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
36. "Zbulohet emri, ky deputet i LDK-së është i propozuari për president nga Isa Mustafa?". Bota Sot. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
37. "Komplikime shtesë, pak minuta para takimit me partnerët, Nisma propozon Fatmir Limajn për president". Gazeta Express (in Albanian). 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
38. "Posti i presidentit, në tavolinën e bisedimeve LDK-Vetëvendosje". Bota Sot. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
39. "Latest Update: Kosovo to Vote on the New President". 3 April 2021.
40. "The second round of voting for president begins". 4 April 2021.
41. "Edhe raundi i dytë nuk sjell presidentin e ri". 4 April 2021.

External links

• President of Kosovo