The Democratic League of Kosovo will continue its political activity in opposition after withdrawing all claims to government posts, the leadership of the Assembly, or the presidency. Its leader, Lumir Abdixhiku, announced the position on Thursday, stating that the LDK is no longer seeking a political agreement with Vetëvendosje on leading the country’s institutions.
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At a press conference, Abdixhiku said the LDK is ready to cooperate on electing a nonpartisan president so that political disappointment does not turn into institutional deadlock.
He justified the withdrawal of the party’s demands by citing the need to prevent a crisis. According to him, Vetëvendosje’s offer was intended to make the LDK serve merely as “decoration,” as it had been offered three ministries while VV sought to retain all the other posts.
Abdixhiku said the LDK is no longer seeking any ministries and that the Vetëvendosje Movement can keep them. He also confirmed the withdrawal of its claim to the post of Assembly speaker and, above all, its demand to lead the presidency. According to him, if LVV believes it does not need the LDK as a partner, then it cannot use the party as political decoration either.
The LDK leader said the party would remain in opposition, where the citizens had placed it, and would fulfill that responsibility with dignity. However, he stressed that the LDK remains open to talks about a president who will protect the interests of the Republic.
Speaking about the criteria the next president should meet, Abdixhiku called on LVV to form the government with its 61 MPs and take full control of the executive. He emphasized that the LDK would not take away the power Vetëvendosje wants to retain, but at the same time it would not share responsibility for a government in which it is not allowed a dignified role.
According to him, there are now two clear options: LVV can choose institutional stability through a president selected jointly with the LDK and govern with its own majority, or it can lead the country toward a far more serious crisis and confrontation simply because it refuses to accept even the smallest degree of democratic compromise.
Political analyst Milazim Maraj considers the LDK’s decision to withdraw its demands to be a wise one. According to him, the move shows that the party is prepared to give up its own interests for the sake of the state of Kosovo.
In a statement to “Bota sot,” Maraj said that Lumir Abdixhiku, following several unsuccessful negotiations held at Albin Kurti’s request, announced that the LDK would no longer seek to be part of the Government of Kosovo. He recalled that the party had decided to remain in opposition and conduct its opposition activities for the benefit of the country.
According to Maraj, the proposal made to the LDK by LVV leader Albin Kurti was deeply demeaning, as was the presentation of the 52:18 result. He believes that, with its current number of MPs, the LDK would have no real influence over the leadership of the state of Kosovo, while the post of deputy prime minister would be sufficient for its leader given this result.
The analyst argued that there is no reason to remain in a place where a political entity is not allowed to make its contribution. According to him, the LDK should seek a role from which it can fulfill the commitments it made to voters during the elections, and under the current circumstances that role is to remain in opposition.
Maraj views opposition as a more favorable alternative than the position the LDK had been offered in government. He said the party has no reason to take responsibility for LVV’s mistakes as long as it is not in a position from which it can influence or change anything for the benefit of Kosovo.
According to Maraj, whether this decision strengthens or weakens the LDK among its electorate will depend on the party’s consolidation following its internal elections, the correction of its shortcomings toward its membership, and constructive engagement against centralization in Kosovo’s politics.
He emphasized that every party builds its image through its own political activity and that scandalous actions do no honor to the LDK. In this context, Maraj mentioned the throwing of eggs, the use of tear gas, and other harsh tactics, arguing that the LDK is not obliged to be on the opposition front at all costs and that such conduct does not help its consolidation.
According to the analyst, rejecting all government posts demonstrates political maturity and is the right decision because when the parties cannot agree, they should make way for one another. He said the offer had made LVV’s intention to control everything clear, meaning that this would not have been a case of governing jointly. For this reason, the LDK had no reason to remain there merely to create the appearance of “democratic decoration.”
Maraj says the decision can be interpreted both as political clarity and as a loss of influence among the electorate because, in his view, it contains elements of both. Nevertheless, if this “cold shower” helps refresh the LDK, he believes that would be positive not only for the party but also for the country.
He considers national unity an essential factor but claims that LVV has severely damaged it. According to him, the two other opposition parties are also incapable of restoring unity because of their past. Maraj believes only the LDK can achieve this by drawing on the wise and scholarly philosophy of Dr. Ibrahim Rugova.
In his assessment, without such unity Kosovo will continue down the path of deterioration and division in every possible form, as is currently happening. He cited divisions between religions, genders, and age groups; hostility toward the diaspora, whose members are called “those outsiders”; conflicts between parties; insults and abuse; and alliances with anti-Albanian groups from Serbia, Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
Maraj said that whenever Kosovo’s position is weakened domestically or internationally, the LDK will gain support if it voices its opposition. In conclusion, he called on the party to dedicate itself to repairing its structures, which he said had been destroyed by Isa Mustafa and other vassals.
The analyst said rebuilding should begin at the grassroots level by gathering intellectual views, developing them, and placing the party at the service of implementing those ideas. According to him, the withdrawal from the posts proposed by the LVV leader should be used to rebuild the LDK rather than having the party accept any position offered to it.
The LDK was the only political entity to hold negotiations with Vetëvendosje. The two other parties, the Democratic Party and the Alliance, refused to meet with VV leader Albin Kurti.
The party led by Lumir Abdixhiku secured 18 seats in the Assembly after once again finishing as the third-largest political force. During talks with VV, the LDK sought a “balance of power,” including the presidency, but the winning party described this demand as a “major discrepancy” in relation to the June 7 election result.
