Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo

History

The office of the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo was formally established on 10 December 2001. Before this date, Kosovo did not have an elected legislative body, and all executive and legislative powers were held by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and its head, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG).

The newly elected Assembly held its first constitutive session in Pristina on 10 December 2001. Because the Assembly did not yet have its own rules of procedure, SRSG Hans Hækkerup served as the temporary Speaker and Chairperson. He officially opened the session, verified the mandates of the 120 elected deputies, administered their oaths of office, and legally established the legislature. Only after these procedural steps did the deputies elect their first permanent President of the Assembly: Nexhat Daci of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

Between 2001 and 2008, the President of the Assembly operated under the UNMIK Constitutional Framework. During this period, the position was important but its real powers were limited. The Assembly could only pass laws in specific administrative areas, while key sectors like security, justice, and foreign affairs remained under the direct control of the SRSG, who could also veto laws or dissolve the Assembly if necessary. However, the President of the Assembly did hold one major sovereign responsibility: serving as the acting President of Kosovo if the head of state died, resigned, or became incapacitated. This occurred in January 2006, when Nexhat Daci served as acting President following the death of Ibrahim Rugova.

The role changed significantly on 17 February 2008, when the Assembly declared independence. With the adoption of the Constitution of Kosovo later that year, UNMIK's supreme authority ended. The Assembly became the highest, fully sovereign legislative body of the new republic, transforming the President of the Assembly from a partially ceremonial role under international administration into one of the central state institutions.

Duties and responsibilities

Today, the President of the Assembly is a key democratic figure in the Republic of Kosovo. According to the Constitution (Article 67) and the Assembly's Rules of Procedure, the President is responsible for leading the legislative branch, ensuring the democratic process, and representing the institution both domestically and internationally.

The core duties and powers of the President of the Assembly include:

Representing the Assembly: Acting as the primary voice and official representative of the legislature in relations with other state institutions and foreign dignitaries.

Managing sessions: Convening and chairing the plenary sessions of the Assembly, maintaining parliamentary order, and presiding over the meetings of the Presidency of the Assembly.

Setting the agenda: Determining the legislative work program and proposing the agenda for parliamentary sessions, in coordination with the Assembly's Presidency.

Signing legislation: Formally signing all laws, resolutions, and decisions adopted by the deputies before they are forwarded to the President of Kosovo for official promulgation.

Presidential succession: Serving as the acting President of Kosovo for a period of up to six months in the event that the sitting President is temporarily unable to fulfill their duties, resigns, or is dismissed.

Through these powers, the President of the Assembly plays a critical role in maintaining the separation of powers, ensuring transparent lawmaking, and guaranteeing institutional stability in the country.

Officeholders

Chairperson of the Constitutive Session

Chairperson of the Constitutive Session of the Assembly of Kosovo (Albanian: Kryesuesi i seancës konstituive të Kuvendit të Kosovës, Serbian: Председавајући конститутивне седнице Скупштине Косова, romanized: Predsedavajući konstitutivne sednice Skupštine Kosova) is the temporary presiding officer of the inaugural session of a newly elected Assembly of Kosovo.

Traditionally, the oldest elected member presides, assisted by the youngest member. The role is largely ceremonial and symbolic, representing continuity and renewal in the democratic process. During the session, the mandates of elected members are verified, oaths of office are taken, and the legislature is officially constituted. The chairperson and deputy serve only until the permanent Speaker of the Assembly and deputy speakers are elected.

The practice developed after the creation of the Assembly under UNMIK in 2001. The first elections were held on 17 November 2001, and the constitutive session of 10 December 2001 was initially chaired by the UNMIK Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Hans Hækkerup, acting as temporary chairman. The Assembly subsequently elected its permanent leadership, with Nexhat Daci becoming the first Speaker.

In the second legislature, the constitutive session of 3 December 2004 was chaired by the oldest elected member, academician Mark Krasniqi, assisted by Nekibe Kelmendi. At that time, the Rules of Procedure did not yet require the youngest member to serve as deputy. By the constitutive session of 4 January 2008, Mark Krasniqi was again the oldest member and chaired the session, assisted by the youngest elected member, Njomza Emini. The "oldest + youngest" formula subsequently became the established practice.

Following Kosovo’s declaration of independence and the adoption of the Constitution of Kosovo in 2008, the practice was formalized in the Rules of Procedure. The oldest member chairs the inaugural session and is assisted by the youngest elected member until the permanent leadership is elected.

The role remains essential for ensuring constitutional and procedural legitimacy at the start of each legislative term, especially during periods of political deadlock when the election of the permanent Speaker can take weeks or months.