World News | Kosovo: Opposition Lawmaker Hurls Eggs at Caretaker PM in Parliament Amid Political Crisis, House Suspended
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Kosovo's parliament was suspended after opposition MP Time Kadrijaj threw eggs at acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, shouting "Shame on you!" Kurti, whose party lacks a majority following June's elections, called it the price of political dialogue as talks to form a government and elect a president remain stalled.
Pristina [Kosovo], August 9 (ANI): Proceedings in Kosovo's assembly were halted on Saturday following a dramatic protest in which an opposition MP threw eggs on acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti inside the legislative chamber.
The disruption occurred as Kurti's party, Vetevendosje, struggled to secure an agreement with opposition groups to form a government following the June 7 general election. Although Vetevendosje emerged as the single largest political force with 53 out of 120 parliamentary seats, it falls short of the required majority to govern without coalition partners.
Time Kadrijaj, the lawmaker representing the opposition Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), walked up to Kurti as he sat in the front row and threw multiple eggs in his direction.
She yelled, "Shame on you!" before security personnel and fellow legislators stepped in to intervene.
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The parliamentary sitting was suspended immediately after the confrontation, with the chairperson ordering the live television broadcast to be cut as security personnel surrounded the acting Prime Minister.
Kadrijaj subsequently uploaded video clips of the incident on social media.
Responding to the disturbance, Kurti appeared unfazed by the attack and remarked that if having eggs thrown at him was the cost of keeping political dialogue alive, "I am happy to pay this price."
The assembly had convened expecting Kurti to announce a candidate for parliament's speaker.
Instead, he requested additional time to negotiate a deal on the election of a new president, acknowledging that ongoing talks had failed to yield consensus on the presidency.
Kosovo remains caught in prolonged political instability, having held three general elections in under two years due to recurring parliamentary deadlocks.
The June 7 poll was triggered when lawmakers failed to elect a president within the required timeframe.
To establish a functioning government and elect key state officials, Kurti's party, Vetevendosje, still requires support from opposition factions.
While the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), which controls 18 seats, has been viewed as a primary coalition partner, rounds of discussions between Kurti and LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku have failed to achieve a breakthrough.
While, the opposition Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK) holds 22 seats.
The political deadlock deepened after the constitutional deadline to formally constitute parliament expired on Friday.
Kurti chose to seek extra negotiation time rather than risk another snap election, prompting rival lawmakers to threaten legal action over the extension request.
Under Kosovo's regulations, the assembly must be constituted within 30 days of the confirmation of final election results.
Although that deadline has now passed, the legal ramifications remain uncertain as the constitution does not explicitly outline the consequences of missing it.
Concurrently, a separate two-month deadline applies to the election of a president.
Failure to elect a head of state within that timeframe will automatically trigger new parliamentary elections, raising the prospect that Kosovo could be forced back to the polls once again. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)