Kurti calls for another PDK candidate for deputy speaker of Parliament

Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, is awaiting a meeting with Bedri Hamza, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo.

The meeting is intended to clarify which PDK lawmaker LVV will support for the post of deputy speaker of Parliament, after Vlora Çitaku’s candidacy failed to secure the necessary votes, prompting the PDK to leave the session.

Kurti: Çitaku has consistently voted against our proposals

“As you know, last year Vlora Çitaku called for the removal of Albulena Haxhiu, while this year she called for the removal of Feride Rushiti. The day before yesterday, she did not take part in the vote to elect Haxhiu as speaker of Parliament, and she has also announced a boycott in the case of the president. We will certainly vote for a PDK lawmaker for deputy speaker, just as we will vote for an LDK lawmaker, but you must take the judgments into consideration, and it is not essential that it be the same name. I hope they will be constructive, just as we were last year. At the meeting with Hamza, we can determine which lawmaker can be voted for,” Kurti said.

According to Kurti, the meeting is primarily in the PDK’s interest, as the party needs LVV’s votes to elect its candidate for deputy speaker of Parliament. On the other hand, for the election of the president, LVV may be able to manage even with the PDK voting against.

Kurti: Without LVV’s vote in favor, the PDK cannot elect the deputy speaker

“I think the PDK should not have abandoned the process of constituting Parliament. I hope it returns on Sunday so that we can also elect the other four deputy speakers and continue with the formation of the government and the election of the president. I repeat that we must avoid new elections, which are unnecessary, repeated and costly. For this, we need a political agreement. I regret that the chairman of the PDK did not respond to the request for a meeting, which he made public, but I believe that a meeting is essential. The PDK needs VV’s votes to elect the deputy speaker, while VV, for the election of the president, only needs the PDK not to boycott or even to vote against. In other words, they need our vote in favor, while we can make do with their vote against,” Kurti said.

Kurti was among the last to leave the Parliament building, but he did not say whether he would take part in Saturday’s march, which is being held ahead of the final decision in The Hague. He had also evaded the same question in the morning, saying that he would answer later in the day.