LDK Gives Up Presidency and Government Posts, Abdixhiku Confirms Move into Opposition

On August 13, 2026, at 18:32, Democratic League of Kosovo leader Lumir Abdixhiku called for the Assembly’s constitutive session to be convened without delay. Following a meeting of the LDK parliamentary group, he announced at a press conference that the party had decided to withdraw all its demands for positions, including the presidency, in an effort to break the deadlock.

Abdixhiku said the LDK was not seeking any ministries and that the Vetëvendosje Movement could keep all of them. According to him, the party would contribute to overcoming the current crisis without seeking any political benefit.

He described the response from Vetëvendosje Movement leader Albin Kurti as a proposal for participation without weight, responsibility without influence and a purely decorative role.

Abdixhiku said the LDK had recognized the Vetëvendosje Movement’s right to lead the government and the Assembly, while proposing that it assume responsibility for the institution of the presidency. According to him, this formula would ensure institutional stability, sustainable governance and the promotion of democratic values, while the balanced division of responsibilities was not intended to pit the parties against one another.

However, he said the LVV’s response did not constitute a partnership offer. According to him, the LDK had been offered only three ministries and the post of deputy prime minister, an offer the parliamentary group had deemed disproportionate. Abdixhiku said it had been rejected and that this rejection subsequently prompted a public battle by the Vetëvendosje Movement.

The LDK leader also announced the party’s withdrawal from a political agreement, stressing that it was not seeking any state position. Nevertheless, he expressed readiness for talks on electing a president of the Republic of Kosovo who, as he put it, should belong to the people rather than to a party.

Abdixhiku said the LDK would not allow the fate of the Republic to be made conditional on its demands. To free up the process and pave the way for a solution in the state’s interest, the party is giving up participation in the government, the post of Assembly speaker and its demand to lead the institution of the presidency.

He added that since the LVV believes it does not need the LDK as a partner, it will not have it, and the LDK will remain in opposition. Nevertheless, Abdixhiku stressed that this position would not turn into a blockade and that the party was prepared to help elect the president without seeking any position. According to him, the president should be elected jointly and should defend the Republic and the Constitution.

Calling for the constitutive session to be convened as soon as possible, Abdixhiku said the Vetëvendosje Movement had now received the LDK’s answer. He said the LVV could choose institutional stability through a jointly agreed president and govern with its own majority, or lead the country into a new crisis and a much more serious confrontation simply because it refuses to compromise.

According to him, there is no reason to delay the constitution of the Kosovo Assembly, and the session should therefore be convened immediately. Abdixhiku said the LDK had made its choice, putting the Republic before positions.

His statement followed several meetings with LVV leader Albin Kurti. During those discussions, Abdixhiku had asked for the LDK to receive the presidency, but Kurti did not accept that request. The PDK and the Alliance have called for the Assembly’s constitutive session to be held tomorrow.

Earlier, on August 13, 2026, at 17:43, Abdixhiku announced after a meeting of the parliamentary group that the LDK was withdrawing every claim to participation in the government, including the presidency. He explained that the demand for the presidency had been put forward to create an institutional balance in the country.

According to him, the LVV had reserved a “decorative” role for the LDK in the government, offering it only three ministries and the post of deputy prime minister. Abdixhiku said his party could not accept such subordination and that, after the terms were rejected, the Vetëvendosje Movement launched a public battle against the LDK.

Stressing that coalitions are built on trust, he reiterated that the LDK would not agree to serve as decoration for the LVV. For this reason, the party decided to give up the government and the presidency, choosing to remain in opposition.

In the report published at 17:40 on the same date, written by A.M., Abdixhiku said the LDK had sought fairer and more proportional representation in a joint government. He said the offer of three ministries and one deputy prime minister was unacceptable to the party.

The LDK leader explained that, to ensure the democratic and stable functioning of the institutions, the party had sought participation with clearly defined responsibilities and powers. According to him, a parliamentary group with 48 MPs required representation in line with the election result and Kosovo’s needs.

Abdixhiku said the proposal of only three ministries and one deputy prime minister was disproportionate for a governing parliamentary group of 48 MPs, both in relation to the election result and the country’s needs.

He said the LDK had requested three ministries, six deputy ministers, the post of deputy prime minister and a stronger role within the executive structure. According to him, the aim was for the party to have a more engaged and responsible force that would enable the country to move forward.

For this reason, according to Abdixhiku, the LDK had rejected the proposal providing for only three ministries and the post of deputy prime minister, while leaving the prime minister’s post to the other party. He also said that a formula giving three ministries and the deputy prime minister to the Vetëvendosje Movement, as well as the prime minister to the other party, had been rejected. In his assessment, this unacceptable proposal ultimately determined the course of the negotiations and, in effect, settled the battle.