The next internal elections of the Democratic League of Kosovo are expected to be held during 2027, while the race for the party leadership has begun to take shape, although the exact date has not yet been set.
Interest in the process has grown following statements by several LDK figures who have publicly expressed their willingness to run for party chairman.
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MP Arben Gashi announced on October 28 that he intends to run for party leader. He linked his candidacy to the development of an open and democratic race.
On November 5, MP Hykmete Bajrami also confirmed that she would enter the race for LDK chairwoman, calling for a fair electoral process.
Among the names mentioned is Përparim Rama, the mayor of Pristina, who previously stated that he wanted to run for the leadership of the LDK. Rama has clarified that he is not a direct member of the party, although the LDK had nominated and supported him for the position of mayor of the capital.
Avdullah Hoti is also among those linked to the race. On January 25, 2026, he made his candidacy public and announced that at the LDK Assembly, scheduled for January 31, he would seek the delegates’ votes.
However, following the vote at the Assembly, the delegates did not accept Lumir Abdixhiku’s resignation. As a result, Abdixhiku remained at the helm of the party, and Hoti was unable to run for its leadership in that process.
Hoti recently said that the LDK needs a leader capable of uniting the party. In this context, he also mentioned Kujtim Shala, saying that Shala would do the LDK credit.
LDK deputy chairman Lutfi Haziri has also not ruled out the possibility of running, although he has not officially confirmed his candidacy so far.
“Bota sot” sought comments from the individuals mentioned regarding their aspirations and expectations for the 2027 internal elections, but had not received a response from them by the time this article was published.
Political analysts consider the upcoming process decisive for the future of the LDK. In their view, the elections could determine the direction of the party’s reform, the restoration of its traditional identity and how its internal divisions will be overcome.
Some of them see the larger number of candidates as a sign of internal democracy, while others warn that rivalries and factions could deepen the crisis within the party.
Saim Tahiraj, an LDK activist, described Hykmete Bajrami’s and Arben Gashi’s candidacies as positive. Speaking to “Bota sot,” he said that every member who meets the conditions set out in the statute has the right to run for party chairman.
According to Tahiraj, the entry of these two names into the race increases the seriousness of the process and gives greater substance to the LDK’s internal democracy.
He said that Bajrami and Gashi have made their contributions and earned their long-standing merits within the party, while calling for the race to be based on experience, values and meritocracy.
Tahiraj expressed reservations about a possible candidacy by Përparim Rama. According to him, the mayor of Pristina does not represent the LDK’s traditional political identity.
He said that Rama could run if he meets the statutory requirements, but argued that candidates for the party leadership should be connected to the LDK’s political, institutional and Rugovian heritage, rather than being figures detached from its roots.
The LDK activist criticized the way the party has been led in recent years. According to him, the LDK has moved away from its tradition and political philosophy.
Tahiraj said that the arrival in leadership positions of figures who, in his view, lacked the necessary experience, knowledge and connection to the LDK’s history and traditional structure had also contributed to this departure.
He called for deep reform and a return to the party’s political identity and Rugovian philosophy. In his view, the party needs people with integrity, political experience and a proven, long-standing connection to the LDK.
Meanwhile, analyst Gani Qarri warned that the race could bring new clashes between different factions. Speaking to “Bota sot,” he said that, alongside Përparim Rama, Arben Gashi and Hykmete Bajrami, Lutfi Haziri is also being mentioned in public discussion.
Qarri said that these are the three main names that have so far made their ambitions for the post of chairman public, even though the election date has not yet been set by the LDK leadership.
According to him, for the first time, two veteran LDK members, Arben Gashi and Hykmete Bajrami, as well as Përparim Rama, who was nominated and supported by the LDK to lead Pristina, have openly expressed their willingness to run. Qarri recalled that Rama himself has stated that he is not a direct member of the party.
The analyst also criticized the current chairman, Lumir Abdixhiku. He claims that during Abdixhiku’s leadership, figures who had contributed to the LDK for many years were sidelined, creating dissatisfaction and divisions within the party.
Qarri said that committed members from Llapi and the Dukagjin Plain, who, according to him, had carried the main burden of the party’s stability, were removed from key functions and decision-making. He also claimed that people from other parties, who had not previously been members of or contributors to the LDK, were appointed to important positions.
In his assessment, these actions seriously damaged the party’s image and contributed to the LDK’s failure to grow in elections, instead causing it to fall to second-to-last place. Qarri warned that the divisions could lead to the creation of new factions, further splits and a loss of support from voters in the Republic of Kosovo.
He said that Lutfi Haziri’s possible candidacy remains one of the developments that could make the race even more unpredictable. Haziri, stating that he had also competed during difficult periods and was not afraid of the race, has left open the possibility of joining it if he receives the support of the current leadership, and particularly of Lumir Abdixhiku.
Qarri said that for Haziri, this could be his last opportunity to take over the leadership of the LDK, following many years of engagement in the party.
The analyst warned that the current situation could turn the process into an open clash between regional factions within the LDK. According to him, a race between two or three consensus candidates would be more beneficial than a process that deepened divisions and pushed the party toward further weakening.
He said that the turbulent atmosphere, factional distancing and personal and group clashes could prevent the self-declared candidates from contributing to the democratization of the LDK. According to Qarri, none of them has so far demonstrated that they are sufficiently capable and unifying figures to carry out the necessary changes, reform the party and restore it as an important political force.
In conclusion, Gani Qarri mentioned Faton Bislimi as the figure who, in his view, could unite the LDK and bring it out of division.
He described Bislimi as a doctor of political science who graduated from Harvard University in the United States, and recalled that he had been a candidate for party chairman twice. Qarri also said that Bislimi had been part of former President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign team and President Trump’s team.
According to the analyst, Bislimi could serve as a unifying figure, lower tensions, bring the internal factions closer together and return the LDK to a path of stabilization. He said that such a role would prepare the party for Kosovo’s next political elections, which are expected to be held in several years.
