Guri: Clashes with Abdixhiku one of the reasons six LDK MPs opposed Sejdiu

Paris Guri, a member of the Democratic League of Kosovo, said that internal political clashes with the party’s chairman, Lumir Abdixhiku, are one of the reasons why six LDK MPs opposed the agreement with the Vetëvendosje Movement on Bekim Sejdiu’s candidacy for president of the country.

Speaking on the “Interview of the Week” programme on kp, Guri said the position of the six MPs was unclear, especially considering the preliminary discussions held within the parliamentary group, where, according to him, there had been agreement to find a consensus candidate for president.

Guri called for grievances and political clashes to be overcome in Kosovo’s interest.

“Clashes with Abdixhiku”: Guri explains why the six LDK MPs do not support Sejdiu

“I consider that Mr Abdixhiku himself may also be a reason—the clashes with Mr Abdixhiku—that they have not managed to find support for Mr Sejdiu. However, this is just my assumption, because the MPs who opposed this agreement know this best. But I am saying again that it is very unclear, considering the discussions held at the penultimate meeting. We all agreed that a name should be found for a consensus president and that we should provide institutions for the country. Then I do not think that we, as politicians, MPs or members of the presidency—I believe we need to overcome our grievances, we need to overcome our resentments, if we can call them resentments, when Kosovo’s interests are at stake. Because we now know that Kosovo has been without institutions for a long time,” he said.

Speaking about the agreement with the Vetëvendosje Movement on Bekim Sejdiu’s candidacy, Guri said that the LDK had not imagined they would reach such a good agreement.

Guri: We did not imagine we could reach such a good agreement with the Vetevendosje Movement

“We did not imagine that we could reach such a good agreement. With a person who, hand on heart, I am the youngest one there by age, and it is not that I had much knowledge about Bekim Sejdiu’s activities. However, when I took part in meetings of the presidency, when I listened to each member of the LDK presidency—namely, Anton Quni talking about his personal experiences with Bekim Sejdiu, with Bekim Sejdiu’s paternal cousin, who was a soldier under Xhafer Gashi’s command in the battles of Koshare; when I heard about the contribution made by Bekim Sejdiu’s father, who was the chairman of the sub-branch of the Democratic League of Kosovo in Klinë, and who was three consecutive times the head of the electoral headquarters of the branch in Klinë; when I heard that Bekim Sejdiu had then been nominated by Fatmir Sejdiu, at the time when he was chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, to serve as ambassador in Ankara; when I heard that, in a way, he had been part of the Democratic League of Kosovo,” he added.

Asked whether the LDK could find another solution with the Vetëvendosje Movement involving a different presidential candidate, Guri said that the party had done its part and that, with its current number of MPs, it had no room to nominate other candidates.

Guri added that he hoped elections could be avoided, although he was not optimistic that this could be achieved with the current numbers in the Assembly.

Guri explains whether there will be another presidential candidate

“The Democratic League of Kosovo has done its part. It is no longer up to it, because we are forgetting one fact: we have 18 MPs. If we had more MPs and were a ‘playmaker’, meaning that we could determine other candidates and elect a president from the Democratic League of Kosovo… I sincerely hope, in the most genuine way possible, that elections will be avoided. With these numbers, I do not know how elections can be avoided, but I very much hope they will be,” Guri stressed.

Guri also spoke about his public “clashes” with his party colleague Janina Ymeri, saying that he would not remain for a single second in a party if he believed its chairman was part of an energy mafia, as Ymeri had implied.

“I would not remain in the party for a single second”: Guri speaks about his clash with Janina Ymeri

“I would not remain in a political party for even a single second if I thought that the chairman of that political party, who represents me, was part of any kind of mafia. Whether an energy mafia or any other kind of mafia, I would not remain for even a second if the thought merely crossed my mind—not if I had facts, but simply if I thought—that the chairman who represents me, the chairman of my party, was part of any kind of mafia. Not for a minute, an hour or a day—not even for a second… There is no split, nor have I made any accusation against Ms Ymeri. No accusation whatsoever. I said yesterday as well that differing political positions are absolutely normal in a democratic society. A vote against is absolutely normal in a democratic society, especially when you are part of the Democratic League of Kosovo,” he said.

Regarding the possibility of another attempt to remove Lumir Abdixhiku from the leadership of the LDK, Guri said that nothing surprised him anymore, given that two party assemblies had been held within five months.

He did not rule out the possibility that another assembly could be convened.

Will there be another attempt to remove Abdixhiku?

“Honestly, it would not be surprising if another assembly were convened, given that we have had two assemblies in five months. If another one is held within six months, that would not be surprising either. And if a fourth is held within seven months, do not be surprised. What was surprising was that two assemblies were held within five months. Nothing surprises or astonishes me anymore. As for Mr Rama’s ambitions to become chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo has its regular electoral process in 2027, and every member of the Democratic League of Kosovo has the right to run for chairman, to become the head of the LDK,” he declared.

Guri also spoke about the role of Pristina Mayor Përparim Rama in developments within the LDK.

What role does Përparim Rama play in the clashes within the LDK?

“Hundreds of activists worked day and night to elect Përparim Rama both in 2021 and in 2025. My problem—and I think it is also a problem for the rest of the Democratic League of Kosovo—is the distribution of director positions, where the Democratic League of Kosovo had, and received, three directorates, equal to the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, while the Democratic Party of Kosovo had eight directorates. Therefore, I believe this did not represent, and does not represent, the role of the Democratic League of Kosovo with dignity, given the contribution made by the LDK in the last two elections,” MP Guri concluded.