Gani Mehmeti Analyzes Rift in LDK: Abdixhiku Has Lost Control, Should Have Resigned in December

A group of Democratic League of Kosovo delegates has launched an initiative to convene an extraordinary assembly, submitting the required signatures to put the party’s current leadership up for discussion.

The verification of these signatures is still underway, and the party’s highest body has yet to meet.

In a statement to “Bota sot,” political analyst Gani Mehmeti said the LDK is going through a difficult period and that chairman Lumir Abdixhiku no longer exercises full authority over its internal structures.

According to him, the decline in the party’s political strength is not unexpected, but rather the consequence of a series of past actions and events. Mehmeti recalled that Abdixhiku took over as a figure who was relatively unknown in party activism, at a time when the LDK had already begun to decline for reasons that, he said, have since become known.

He added that Abdixhiku’s arrival was not welcomed enthusiastically by all members, and this initial dissatisfaction gradually deepened, fueled in part by poor election results that have consistently placed the party third.

Mehmeti noted that immediately after the December 28, 2025 elections, voices emerged within the LDK calling for the chairman’s resignation. However, Abdixhiku did not resign and instead sought the party’s approval, with the majority refusing to accept his resignation. According to the analyst, this may have been because no one wanted to take responsibility for the party in that condition, but Abdixhiku should have interpreted the will of the membership himself. “His desire to remain chairman of a party that once enjoyed great renown and integrity, along with his ambition to govern, meant that he did not resign,” Mehmeti was quoted as saying.

The analyst further noted that opposition to Abdixhiku was also strengthened by prominent LDK figures and MPs who themselves harbored ambitions to lead the political party. According to him, this has caused the party’s decline to become even more pronounced today.

About 150 signatures have been collected by supporters of these figures to convene the assembly, which will decide whether Abdixhiku will remain at the helm, be dismissed, or resign. Mehmeti stressed that the chairman no longer holds power within the LDK, as one dissatisfied opponent is often enough to draw in others until a sufficient majority is formed to dismiss him.

He added that it would have been far more favorable for Abdixhiku to resign immediately after the December 28 elections, or at least after the disappointing June 6 result, so that the matter would not become the subject of widespread debate.

Finally, Mehmeti warned that the internal divisions could also have consequences at the institutional level. He noted that Abdixhiku has begun talks with Albin Kurti about potentially joining the government, but that, in light of these 150 signatures, the chairman must now suspend the discussions because not all of the party’s MPs heed his authority. According to him, suspending the talks is essential because, without the full support of the parliamentary group, neither joining a Kurti-led government nor electing the president of Kosovo can be put to a vote. He warned that a refusal by some LDK MPs to vote would create a deadlock in the formation of institutions, harming the country both domestically and in its international relations, as well as its ability to obtain funds from the European Union.