Kosovo MPs voted to dissolve parliament on Thursday, paving the way for a national election after Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj resigned last month.
Eight-nine deputies voted to dissolve the 120-seat parliament, and an election is expected to take place within 45 days.
Haradinaj resigned after being summoned for questioning by the country’s war crimes prosecutor over his role in the 1998-99 insurgency against Serbian forces, when he was a commander of the guerilla Kosovo Liberation Army. He denies any wrongdoing and said he is ready to face any accusations.
Haradinaj’s recent resignation was his second one — in 2005 he resigned when he was indicted by the UN War Crimes Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.
With no clear party in the majority, it is expected that any new government will involve a coalition.
The last government was a coalition between Haradinaj’s centre-right party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Social Democratic Initiative.
The new government will be faced with the task of attempting to normalise relations with Serbia. The two states were involved in one of Europe’s most violent conflicts just 20 years ago.
Tensions have recently risen after Kosovo raised customs duties on imports from Serbia to 100% in response to Serbia blocking the country from joining Interpol.
France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the US issued a statement last week calling for the states to normalise relations and restart an EU-led dialogue.
“For Kosovo, that means suspending the tariffs imposed on Serbia. For Serbia, that means suspending the de-recognition campaign against Kosovo,” the statement read.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia officially in 2008 but Serbia still considers the landlocked nation part of its territory.
