Kosovo's acting president calls snap election for June 7

PRISTINA, April 30 – Kosovo’s acting President Albulena Haxhiu on Thursday called a snap election for June 7, the third in just over a year, after parliament failed to elect a new head of state.

The vote prolongs a political crisis in Europe’s youngest country, which had no fully functioning government for much of last year as a divided parliament failed for months to elect a speaker.

“We are late with reforms without any reason. We cannot afford to lose time,” Haxhiu, who is acting president and speaker of the parliament, said after meeting political leaders.

Lawmakers had until midnight on Tuesday to choose a president after Vjosa Osmani’s term ended earlier this month, but Prime Minister Albin Kurti was unable to secure opposition support for his nominee.

Kurti’s Vetevendosje party had looked set to end months of political stalemate after a resounding election victory in December. REUTERS