Kurti and Abdixhiku Move Closer to a Consensus Candidate for President of Kosovo

Finding a candidate for the post of President of Kosovo has entered a more concrete phase after Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, and Lumir Abdixhiku, chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, held a meeting that lasted more than two hours.

The talks took place this week and focused on the possibility of reaching an agreement on the election of the head of state. After the meeting, both leaders spoke to the media, explaining the progress of the discussions and the steps expected to follow.

Kurti described the meeting as sincere, serious and open. He revealed that, for the first time, specific names for the next president had been placed on the negotiating table, although the individuals mentioned had not yet been contacted to ask whether they would accept the position.

“The conversation was open, sincere and serious. We will continue the meetings, as trust between us has grown and we have now also discussed specific names. They have not previously been asked whether they would accept becoming president, because we must first reach an agreement among ourselves,” Kurti said.

Abdixhiku also described the shift from principles to names as a positive development. However, he stressed that the sensitive nature of the process meant that the candidates under discussion could not be made public for the time being.

“The fact that we have moved on to discussing names constitutes a step forward. Because of the sensitivity of this process, I cannot make the specific names public, but the meetings will continue,” Abdixhiku said.

Political analysts have assessed the meeting between the two leaders as an important moment in efforts to elect Kosovo’s next president. According to them, the discussion of specific names and of a nonpartisan, consensus figure shows that the negotiations are no longer limited to general principles.

According to the analysts, an agreement between LVV and LDK on a candidate acceptable to both sides could prevent another institutional crisis and the need for new elections.

Jakupi: Names for president being discussed, while Bislimi mentioned as a possibility

Political analyst Zejnullah Jakupi told “Bota Sot” that the key element in recent developments is the fact that the talks have moved on to examining potential candidates. He also highlighted the publicly stated criterion that the president should be a nonpartisan and consensus figure.

According to Jakupi, the discussions between Albin Kurti and Lumir Abdixhiku show that the LVV–LDK process has entered the stage of identifying a possible name and is no longer limited to reaching agreement on principles.

He stressed that the main question now concerns the identity of the person who could secure the joint support of the two entities. If the candidate must be nonpartisan, have integrity and be acceptable beyond a single political force, then, he said, attention should focus outside the usual profile of party candidates.

Jakupi mentioned well-known figures from public, academic, diplomatic or international-relations circles as possibilities, but did not rule out the option of a candidate who is still unknown to the public.

In this context, he mentioned Faton Bislimi as one of the names that could be considered as a possible consensus candidate. According to him, Bislimi has a public profile, ties to American circles and a dimension that extends beyond narrow party politics.

Jakupi clarified that this does not mean Bislimi is the candidate on whom an agreement has been reached, since the names discussed in Kurti and Abdixhiku’s meetings have not been disclosed. Nevertheless, he considers Bislimi a figure who could be examined if a bridge-building figure with a clear Euro-Atlantic orientation is being sought.

The analyst also spoke about Jim DioGuardi’s visit to Kosovo and his message that the president should be elected as soon as possible. He linked the visit to the importance international partners attach to Kosovo’s institutional stability.

However, Jakupi said it was still too early to claim that DioGuardi had specifically proposed Faton Bislimi, as there was no direct confirmation of such a claim. For this reason, he views it only as a possibility and not as a confirmed fact.

According to Jakupi, political rapprochement between LVV and LDK could be decisive in avoiding another institutional deadlock and new elections. If Kurti and Abdixhiku are genuinely discussing specific names and moving closer to an agreement, he said, this would be the most appropriate way to overcome the crisis.

He said that such an agreement would demonstrate that the country’s institutional interests can unite political forces that have previously been involved in major clashes.

Referring to recent developments and the accusations circulating in connection with the Fatmir Sheholli case, Jakupi called for the issue to be handled carefully. He expressed hope that these developments would not be used to pressure the parties, including pressure that, according to him, is being exerted by some members of the opposition from PDK and AAK.

Jakupi stressed that unconfirmed accusations or outside narratives should not influence the process of electing the president. According to him, Kosovo needs functioning institutions and a president with broad legitimacy, not another cycle of political confrontations.

He concluded that the focus should remain on reaching an agreement on a nonpartisan, consensus candidate with integrity. If Kurti and Abdixhiku manage to agree on such a figure, the agreement would constitute not only a solution for the presidency, but also a step toward taking the country out of another political impasse.

Qarri calls for political unity and proposes DioGuardi for president

Political analyst Gani Qarri has put forward the idea of reorganizing the political scene through the merger of the main entities. In an interview with “Bota Sot,” he also spoke about potential candidates for the post of President of Kosovo.

According to Qarri, AAK is publicly appearing as a “trailer” of PDK, while LDK’s electorate and membership, particularly following the party’s recent internal problems, have moved closer to LVV’s political positions and principles.

For this reason, he proposed that LVV and LDK merge into a single entity or a coalition party that would include LVV, LDK, Lista Guxo, Alternativa and others. At the same time, Qarri suggested that PDK and AAK merge into a single political entity.

He argued that such a reorganization would reduce the number of mini-parties in Kosovo, direct the electorate toward two major entities and prevent the fragmentation of votes. According to him, this would concentrate the electorate into two camps instead of three, four or even more parties, which he described as unnecessary.

Qarri believes that such a scheme would facilitate the election of the president and the resolution of other institutional and state problems. He said it could also prevent the political deadlocks and blockades that, in his view, have continued for more than two years for partisan and group-related reasons.

According to him, these clashes have harmed citizens’ well-being, endangered the security of the state and obstructed the Euro-Atlantic path of the Republic of Kosovo, which he described as one of the most important processes for completing state-building.

Regarding the election of the president, Qarri said that LDK and its chairman, Lumir Abdixhiku, remain the most reliable partners in efforts to reach a political consensus on the head of state.

He recalled that Albin Kurti had announced that concrete-name proposals for the next president of the Republic of Kosovo had already been discussed in his talks with Abdixhiku.

According to Qarri, the agreement between the two leaders has advanced, as both sides have publicly stated that the candidate should be a nonpartisan and consensus figure. The names are said to have been placed on the table, but so far they have not been disclosed to the public.

Qarri reiterated a position he says he has expressed since the beginning of April and long before the decision to send the country to the unnecessary elections of June 7. According to him, the strongest potential candidate is Joseph DioGuardi, who for more than 4 decades has contributed to the Albanian cause, and particularly to that of Kosovo.

He linked DioGuardi’s efforts to the internationalization of the Kosovo problem during Serbia’s classic occupation, the struggle for national liberation, the declaration of independence, the establishment and advancement of the state, international recognition and Kosovo’s security.

Qarri described DioGuardi as a unique figure who could receive the joint support of LVV, LDK and other parties. According to him, his name could be proposed for consensus president of Kosovo for the next 5 years.

However, the analyst also mentioned other possible candidates. He said that, in addition to the support DioGuardi is receiving on social media, William Woker, DioGuardi and Albanian-American Faton Bislimi have been publicly mentioned in recent days as possible presidential candidates.

Qarri stressed that Bislimi has lived and worked in the United States for several years, where he has also established ties with the state administrations of both major political camps in the United States.

However, he assessed that Bislimi’s candidacy could encounter hesitation among some LDK lawmakers. Qarri recalled that Faton Bislimi had been a member of LDK’s leadership, but after several disagreements with the party’s current leadership, he moved to the United States.

According to him, despite his good reputation and contribution to supporting the Republic of Kosovo, some LDK lawmakers may be concerned that Bislimi would not stand alongside the party following past developments. Qarri said that such a problem does not exist in DioGuardi’s case.

Another advantage of Joseph DioGuardi, according to Qarri, is that he has never been part of any political party in Kosovo. He has pursued his engagement for the Albanian cause and Kosovo from the United States, where, according to the analyst, decisions of international significance are made.

Qarri mentioned DioGuardi’s visits during the most difficult periods of the Serbian occupation and his cooperation with senators Tom Lantos, Eliot Engel, Bob Doll, Alfonse D’Amato and Dana Rochbacher. According to him, DioGuardi and these senators became Kosovo’s saving voice and defenders of Albanians threatened by Serbian crimes, genocide and extermination as a people, a process that, he said, Milošević had launched through the “Horseshoe” plan.

Qarri said that, based on what has been made public, Kurti and Abdixhiku are examining well-known figures outside the party scene, as well as people who have not previously been mentioned publicly.

The names he mentioned include Besa Tafilaj, a prominent former Albanian journalist from Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, a representative of American military families and the military veterans’ community in the United States of America; former ambassador Ilir Dugolli; and Vasfije Krasniqi.

He clarified that these names remain only calculations for the time being. Nevertheless, according to him, establishing the criterion of a nonpartisan and consensus president makes it easier for both sides to reach an agreement on the final name. In Qarri’s assessment, DioGuardi best meets this condition.

The analyst also called for changes to the Constitution regarding the way the president is elected. He said that the deadlock over the election of the head of state, which, according to him, has remained unresolved for nearly two years and is holding the entire country hostage, would sooner or later force the political class to amend the constitutional provisions.

Qarri proposed that the president be elected directly by the people and that the requirement that a candidate for the post must have lived in Kosovo for the past 10 years be removed. He also called for an end to the problem of electing the president with 80 lawmakers present in the session.

According to him, the unclear institutional situation and the political crises that, as he put it, have continued for nearly 2 years are blocking the normal functioning of the state and making stable governance impossible. For this reason, he considers constitutional changes essential, including the removal of the 10-year residency requirement in Kosovo.

Qarri said that electing a patriotic Albanian-Arbëresh with more than half a century of political and diplomatic experience would be an honor for Kosovo, a source of pride for Albanians and an inspiration for future generations. According to him, such a figure would be suitable for the presidency and acceptable to Albanian political entities.

In conclusion, he called for Joseph DioGuardi to be seriously considered for the presidency after obtaining Kosovo citizenship and, if necessary, intervening in the laws and the Constitution.

Qarri said that an internationally renowned national figure, politician and diplomat should be appointed unanimously and elected by acclamation by all Albanian parties in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo.

According to him, DioGuardi’s election would also have the continued support of the United States, while the U.S. Congress would serve as a shield and guarantor of Kosovo’s state cause. Qarri stressed that DioGuardi had worked in Congress for more than 40 years and had been supported by nearly all congressmen in his engagement for Kosovo and the Albanian national cause.

He mentioned meetings held in Congress, discussions by prominent senators and resolutions adopted in support of Kosovo as part of this engagement.

Qarri expressed hope that Kosovo would not miss this opportunity and that the Albanian parties would unanimously elect a president with this profile. According to him, such a decision would help establish stable institutions, create stable governance, advance Euro-Atlantic integration and successfully complete the state-building process of the Republic of Kosovo.