Kosovo to hold snap elections on Oct 6

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Kosovo President Hashim Thaci Monday decided to call early elections for the Assembly on Sunday, Oct. 6.

"On the basis of constitutional and legal responsibilities, the President made the decision to hold early elections for the Assembly of Kosovo on October 6, 2019," said the presidency's statement.

"The Central Election Commission of Kosovo is ordered to take all necessary steps to organize and hold elections for the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, in accordance with this decision and the applicable legislation," read Thaci's signed decision.

Earlier Monday, Thaci decreed the dissolution of the sixth Assembly of Kosovo.

The Kosovo Assembly on Thursday dissolved by a two-thirds majority of MPs, paving the way for early parliamentary elections, following the resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.

In the 120-seat parliament, a total of 91 deputies attended the vote and 89 of them voted in favor of dissolving the parliament.

On July 19, Haradinaj stepped down after being summoned as a war crimes suspect by a special tribunal in the Hague for his role in the 1998-99 insurgency against Serb forces.

He is a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK). Previously, he was tried twice at the international tribunal in the Hague but was acquitted for lack of evidence.