Reformist Vjosa Osmani is elected President of Kosovo by Parliament

The reformist Vjosa Osmani was elected president of Kosovo this Sunday by the deputies, confirming the arrival to power of a new generation political class that declares itself determined to tackle corruption.

The February legislatures confirmed the fall of the old guard of the former independence commanders of the war against Serbian forces (1998-99), who dominated political life for more than a decade.

The left-wing Vetevendosje (VV) movement of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, allied with 38-year-old jurist Vjosa Osmani, won more than 50% of the vote in the February elections, promising to eradicate corruption in this poor territory, eaten away by political instability.

Two weeks after Albin Kurti formed a government, Vjosa Osmani obtained a simple majority in Parliament, with 71 votes of the 120 deputies that make up the hemicycle, in the third round of voting.

A victory that was guessed uncertain until the last moment, since the opposition parties, especially the formations of the ex-guerrillas and the representatives of the Serbian minority, boycotted the parliamentary session.

“I promise to strengthen the State, the rule of law”, declared Osmani by taking the oath, pledging to be the “president of all.” “We are not so many as to divide ourselves. My door will be open to all ”.

Of the 15 government ministers, six are women, a proportion never before reached in a territory where patriarchal ideas are entrenched.

Of the 120 deputies, a third are women.

“Women have the right to be where they want”, he claimed Osmani, who could barely hold back the tears. “Don’t stop, don’t stop going forward. All your dreams can come true “, He launched.

Parliament had met on Saturday but had to suspend the voting operation as it had not achieved the necessary quorum of 80 deputies to validate the election of the president.

According to the Constitution, an absence of that quorum would have led to the convening of new anticipated legislation, the sixth since the country’s declaration of independence in 2008.