The Vetëvendosje Movement can secure the 18 votes of LDK lawmakers for the election of the president only if that post goes to this party. This was stated by LDK deputy leader Lutfi Haziri.
In a statement to RFE/RL, Haziri said that LDK’s votes could come together only if the presidential candidate came from within the party and not from outside it.
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“If that name is Lumir [Abdixhiku, the party chairman] or my name, then we can unify. Lumir would come first, by virtue of his official duty, because he is the chairman. After Lumir, I have the broader consensus [within LDK],” Haziri said.
He also stressed that at present there is only one main address Vetëvendosje can turn to for a possible agreement with LDK.
“Only with Lumir Abdixhiku. He is the chairman. We have not convened the Assembly [of LDK]. If the Assembly is convened or there is an act of resignation, then we have a new situation. Until then, there is only one address and there is no second address,” Haziri said.
In the June 7 elections, LDK entered the race with Vjosa Osmani as its candidate for president and Lumir Abdixhiku as its candidate for prime minister.
This political force managed to win 18 seats in the Assembly of Kosovo, but according to Haziri, in Osmani’s case, the party would not be able to secure the full support of all its lawmakers.
“It could be like last time, meaning two or three votes could split off, but in Lumir’s case or in my case, we can unify,” he explained.
Regarding these statements by Haziri and how credible such a political scenario is, what both sides would gain from such an agreement, what this says about internal relations within LDK and Osmani’s current position toward the party, as well as whether this would be a step toward a broader governing coalition or merely limited institutional cooperation, political analyst Eduard Gashi spoke to “Bota sot.”
According to him, Haziri’s latest statements signal the opening of a new phase of political pragmatism in Kosovo, while the scenario remains feasible, but with potentially existential consequences for LDK itself.
“The latest statements by LDK deputy leader Lutfi Haziri have opened a new chapter of political pragmatism in Kosovo, signaling a possible willingness for an agreement with the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV) in exchange for the post of President. If we analyze this move without diplomatic gloves, this scenario highlights a golden rule of our political scene: the Vetëvendosje Movement can never be trusted in long-term agreements. Trading the post of President: What lies behind the bargain?
The scenario in which LDK offers its 18 votes for quorum and the election of the president is entirely real, but it carries existential risks for LDK itself.
On the one hand, LDK aims to return to the center of decision-making through a figure like Lumir Abdixhiku or Lutfi Haziri, trying to portray itself as the ‘savior of the state’ from constitutional crises. On the other hand, Albin Kurti buys absolute comfort. By securing the quorum, he eliminates the risk of snap elections and keeps the executive without giving ground on the key ministries. However, Kosovo’s political history has proven that VV uses partners only as tools to get past the next obstacle. For Kurti, every agreement is tactical, not principled. The moment LDK hands over the votes and cements Kurti in the prime minister’s office, it loses the only pressure card it has in its hands,” Gashi said.
According to the analyst, Haziri’s statement that LDK can unite around Lumir Abdixhiku or around himself also constitutes a clear signal about internal party relations and the political future of the former president.
He assesses that this clearly shows that the clashes of 2020, when Osmani left LDK, have still not been overcome.
“The isolation of Vjosa Osmani and the settling of old scores!
Haziri’s statement that LDK can unify around Abdixhiku or himself, but ‘not necessarily around Vjosa Osmani,’ is a clear message about internal relations and the political fate of the former President. This shows that the wounds of 2020 — when Osmani left LDK and created the ‘Guxo’ list to become president with VV’s votes — have not healed. Today’s LDK has no interest whatsoever in investing political capital to keep Osmani in office. Today, Vjosa Osmani is more isolated than ever: her relations with Albin Kurti have clearly cooled, her party ‘Guxo’ has dissolved under VV’s shadow, and LDK has just finally closed the door on her return. The message is blunt: if there is a bargain, LDK benefits, not those who abandoned it,” he emphasized.
In conclusion, Gashi says that even if an agreement on the president is reached, it should not be seen as an entry point toward a broad governing coalition.
“Governing coalition or simply an institutional transaction? If this agreement is realized, it will never be a step toward a broad and sincere governing coalition. Albin Kurti does not want to share executive power, the budget, or ministries with a partner that could obstruct him tomorrow. For VV, the ideal partner is one that sets no conditions. Therefore, this cooperation would be concluded as a limited ‘service contract’: LDK does the work in the Assembly for the President, VV governs alone. By entering such an agreement without strong guarantees, LDK risks being seen by its voters simply as a ‘crutch’ for Vetëvendosje. In the game of political chess, Kurti is known for sacrificing other people’s pieces to protect the King. If LDK believes that a signature on paper obliges VV to respect the agreement for the next five years, they are repeating the same naive mistake that cost them dearly in the past,” Gashi concluded.
