Kosovo: Government

Principal Government Officials

Chief of State: President Atifete Jahjaga
Head of Government: Prime Minister Hashim Thaci

On June 15, 2008, Kosovo's constitution came into force. Under the constitution, the President of Kosovo is the head of state and serves a term of 5 years with the right to one re-election. The Prime Minister is the head of government and is elected by the Kosovo Assembly.

The unicameral Kosovo Assembly consists of 120 seats, 10 of which are reserved for ethnic Serbs, and 10 for other minorities (4 seats for the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities [RAE], 3 seats for the Bosniak community, 2 seats for the Turkish community, and 1 seat for the Gorani community). Three of the remaining 100 seats are also held by minority members (for a total of 13). All members serve 4-year terms. Jakup Krasniqi (PDK) is Speaker of the Assembly.

The main political parties in Kosovo include the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), formerly led by Ibrahim Rugova and now led by Pristina Mayor Isa Mustafa; Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), led by Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci; the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), led by former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj; New Kosovo Alliance (AKR), led by Ibrahim Makolli (acting party president); and the Democratic League of Dardania (LDD), led by former Speaker of the Assembly Nexhat Daci.

Kosovo under UNMIK administration held its first parliamentary elections in November 2001. After significant political wrangling, politicians agreed to establish a coalition government in March 2002, with Bajram Rexhepi (PDK) as Prime Minister and Ibrahim Rugova (LDK) as President. In the same year, the Kosovo Assembly began to function and pass its first laws. Beginning in 2003, UNMIK began transferring governing competencies to these ministries.

On November 17, 2007, Kosovo held parliamentary and municipal elections. These elections were deemed free and fair by international observers. The PDK won 34.3% of the vote, the LDK won 22.6%, the New Kosovo Alliance won 12.3%, the Democratic League of Dardania won 10%, and the AAK won 9.6%. Smaller minority parties also made some small gains. These elections led to a coalition between the LDK and the PDK and to the nomination of Hashim Thaci as Prime Minister of Kosovo. Under pressure from Belgrade, most Kosovo Serbs boycotted the vote.

In June 2008, UN Secretary General Ban decided to "reconfigure" UNMIK and reduce the size of the UN presence in Kosovo, effectively ending the UN's role as administrator of Kosovo and welcoming EU deployment of its rule of law mission (EULEX). As Ban stated in his report to the Security Council, "UNMIK will no longer be able to perform effectively the vast majority of its tasks as an international administration." The EU has gradually assumed increasing responsibility in the areas of policing, justice, and customs throughout Kosovo.

The Kosovo judicial system started adapting to the new legal charter on June 15, 2008. Supreme Court judges and prosecutors, district court judges, and municipal courts judges already appointed by the SRSG will continue to serve in their posts until the expiry of their appointment. Following the December 2008 transfer of rule of law functions to the Government of Kosovo, the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) has proposed to the President of Kosovo candidates for appointment or reappointment as judges and prosecutors.

Kosovo administered its first elections since independence on November 15, 2009. These local elections were held in 36 municipalities, including one expanded and three new Serb-majority municipalities established under the decentralization process of the Ahtisaari plan. International observers from the EU, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the ICO agreed the elections were conducted largely in accordance with international standards and that the irregularities that took place were insufficient to affect the outcome of the poll. Voter turnout was the highest since 2002, including in majority ethnic-Serb communities south of the River Ibar. However, voter participation in northern Kosovo was extremely low, with Kosovo Serb communities boycotting the elections. For the first time, Kosovo authorities in the Central Election Commission certified the election results, rather than the pre-independence practice whereby UNMIK certified results. In June 2010, the municipality of Partesh held its first mayoral election, which drew more than 65% of eligible Kosovo Serb voters. There is one remaining Serb-majority municipality to be established through the decentralization process--North Mitrovica. The North Mitrovica Municipal Preparation Team is currently working under the supervision of the ICO to prepare the municipality for elections and formal establishment.

On September 22, 2010, the Kosovo Constitutional Court ruled that President Sejdiu had violated the constitution by simultaneously holding the position of president and president of his political party, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). On September 27, Sejdiu resigned as President of the Republic, retaining his post as head of the LDK party until November 2010 party elections. Speaker of the Assembly Jakup Krasniqi became acting President, in accordance with the constitution. On October 16, LDK and its ministers pulled out of the governing coalition, leaving Prime Minister Thaci and his party heading a minority government and leading to calls for early parliamentary elections. On November 2, the Kosovo Assembly approved a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Thaci, and extraordinary elections were held on December 12, 2010. International observers called the elections relatively efficient and effective. However, there were serious irregularities in some municipalities, where the Central Election Commission ordered re-votes in January 2011. Final results were certified February 7, 2011, and the Assembly members took their seats on February 21. The Assembly elected Behgjet Pacolli as the new president and approved a new coalition government, led by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, on February 22, 2011. A March 30 Constitutional Court decision held the Assembly’s election of the president unconstitutional. Pacolli resigned, and on April 7, 2011, the Assembly elected Atifete Jahjaga, the first female to hold the office of president of the republic.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
In October 2008, Kosovo opened an embassy in Washington, DC. Kosovo has 21 diplomatic missions and 13 consular posts worldwide. In June 2009, Kosovo joined the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

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