Vjosa Osmani dissolves parliament

(Patria) - Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani dissolved parliament on Friday and called early elections, the third in just over a year, a day after MPs failed to elect a new head of state within the constitutional deadline.

Parliament had until midnight on Thursday to elect a president, but Prime Minister Albin Kurti's ruling party, Vetëvendosje, failed to secure the necessary quorum or win over opposition MPs to support its candidate, Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca.

"If parliament cannot elect a president, it cannot continue to drag out the process indefinitely as is now being attempted," Osmani stated in explaining her decision.

Opposition parties sought a candidate around whom there would be consensus, but Kurti stuck to the nomination of Konjufca, who ultimately did not receive the necessary support.