Bekim Sejdiu’s candidacy for president, a fragile consensus between LVV and LDK

The agreement reached between the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) to nominate Bekim Sejdiu for president has been welcomed as a positive step after a long period of institutional deadlock. However, analysts say its implementation remains uncertain.

During the presentation of the candidacy on August 31, Sejdiu said the decision to accept the post was related to the political circumstances in which Kosovo finds itself.

The parliamentary elections held in June were held precisely because of the lack of agreement among parties on electing the president. They were the third elections since February 2025.

Agon Maliqi, a commentator on political developments in Kosovo, told Radio Free Europe (REL) that the consensus between the two parties on the presidential issue should be appreciated, especially after about two years of political paralysis and institutional blockade.

However, Maliqi warned that there is no reason for excessive optimism, because the agreement may face difficulties during implementation.

Dritëro Arifi has been critical of the way the negotiations were conducted, describing the process as closed and non-transparent.

According to Arifi, the discussions were held without public information, in a way that created the impression of negotiations between two private companies over a tender or project.

Assessments of Bekim Sejdiu

For Agon Maliqi, Bekim Sejdiu’s experience in diplomacy and justice matches the responsibilities of the president’s office.

However, he raises questions about Sejdiu’s ability to face the political battles that may await him in this role.

Maliqi says it remains unclear whether Sejdiu will be able to withstand pressures from an executive that, in his view, has shown domineering tendencies and demands submission from institutions. He adds that Sejdiu does not have a party behind him, even though he is connected, in a way, to the LDK’s orbit.

Dritëro Arifi stresses that a professional career alone is not enough to determine whether someone is suitable for the presidency.

He says Bekim Sejdiu may be a very good person and academic, but that does not automatically mean he is also an excellent politician.

Arifi demands that the candidate make public his positions on strategic issues, such as participation in American gas projects, the strategic dialogue with the United States of America, and the Brussels and Ohrid agreements within the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Participation in regional gas projects supported by the U.S. has previously been demanded by opposition parties and by the U.S. Embassy in Pristina. So far, the caretaker government led by Albin Kurti has not taken such a step.

Also, last year, the United States suspended the launch of strategic dialogue with Kosovo. Washington cited concerns about the actions of Kurti’s government, which, it said, had increased tensions and instability.

Dilemmas within the LDK

A significant obstacle to Sejdiu’s election may be disagreements within the LDK and securing the necessary number of votes in the Assembly.

Maliqi says the parliamentary arithmetic puts the LDK in a difficult position, since the party may need support even from deputies outside its own group.

According to him, the challenge is not just about finding votes.

Maliqi also sees as a risk the possibility that the Constitutional Court could invalidate the process, since the current composition of the Assembly is in a legally unclear situation.

This remark relates to the constitutional deadline for constituting the Assembly. In a ruling last year, the Constitutional Court determined that the legislative body must be constituted within 30 days from the certification of results.

This deadline has already been exceeded, while Albin Kurti’s LVV claims that the 30-day period should be counted from August 6, when the constitutive session began.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Alliance have maintained that the deadline set by the Constitution has been violated.

Dritëro Arifi also warns that divisions within the LDK could harm the agreement, especially because of the stance of deputies who have criticized Albin Kurti’s government and the LVV.

Arifi considers the agreement as a deal reached to secure an office for one person and to continue Kurti’s governance, without a clear political and institutional stance from the LDK.

What happens if Sejdiu is not elected president?

Kosovo’s Constitution stipulates that if Bekim Sejdiu and his opponent, whoever that may be, do not receive the necessary votes in three rounds of voting, the Assembly is dissolved and the country goes to new elections.

Agon Maliqi believes that in such a situation early elections could not be avoided.

Dritëro Arifi, meanwhile, warns that failure to elect the president would further deepen Kosovo’s institutional crisis. According to him, the country is currently outside any diplomatic equation.

Albin Kurti’s LVV won 53 seats in the June elections. Together with deputies from non-majority communities, this party has at least 61 votes, a number that is enough to constitute the Assembly and form a new government.

The procedure for electing the president requires the presence of at least 80 deputies in the chamber. Kosovo’s Assembly has a total of 120 seats.

If the LDK’s 18 deputies join the LVV, the number of votes reaches at least 81. This result would be enough to elect the president, if at least 80 deputies are present during the vote.

However, former Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, one of the LDK deputies, has publicly said he is against Sejdiu’s candidacy.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Alliance have previously announced they will remain in opposition. The Alliance has presented six demands and has stated it will give its seven votes for the formation of institutions if the LVV fulfills them.

Sejdiu’s candidacy was made public after several rounds of negotiations between the LVV and LDK. Initially, the two parties discussed co-governance, but those talks failed. Later, the negotiations were limited only to the issue of electing the president.

If he secures the necessary support in the Assembly, Bekim Sejdiu will be Kosovo’s sixth president. / REL