Kosovo's newly elected parliament (the legislature of the partially recognised Balkan republic that declared independence from Serbia in 2008) reconvened Wednesday for its inaugural session, which had been suspended since early August to allow political parties more time to negotiate a presidential candidate. The dominant Vetevendosje party, led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo had jointly backed Judge Bekim Sejdiu for the presidency, but the agreement collapsed after a significant faction of LDK lawmakers rejected the deal. Deep-seated rivalry between the two parties, compounded by an internal leadership dispute within the LDK, has left Kosovo without a constituted parliament or a head of state, raising concerns about a prolonged political impasse.