LVV: Abdixhiku must guarantee implementation of agreement on president

Adnan Rrustemi, a deputy from the Vetëvendosje Movement, said that Lumir Abdixhiku, in his capacity as chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, must ensure that the LDK Parliamentary Group implements any potential agreement on the election of the president.

Speaking on KosovaPress’s “Interview of the Week” program, Rrustemi said that LVV cannot take responsibility for the individual positions of LDK lawmakers. According to him, management of the parliamentary group falls to Abdixhiku, who represents his party, while Albin Kurti represents Vetëvendosje.

Rrustemi explained that LVV had not asked Abdixhiku to guarantee the conduct of each individual deputy, as it deals with him formally as the chairman of the LDK. However, if the parties agree on a name, Abdixhiku must guarantee that the LDK will implement the agreement.

On Saturday, Kurti, the chairman of LVV and acting prime minister, held another meeting with Abdixhiku, but once again no agreement was reached on the presidential candidate.

Although it was disclosed at previous meetings that specific names had been put forward for discussion, Rrustemi said that making them public could harm the process. He said the names should be kept confidential in order to protect the integrity of figures who could serve as consensus candidates.

According to the LVV deputy, proposals for president have come from both Vetëvendosje and the LDK. These candidates must meet the criteria established earlier: they must be consensus figures, nonpartisan, above the parties and unaffiliated with daily political controversies.

Rrustemi said he did not have information on the number of proposals and declined to mention specific names. He added that they should be discussed within the groups only after there has been convergence and agreement between the two sides, as the process is sensitive.

Asked about the candidacy of Faton Bislimi, who is backed by former ambassador Ëilliam Ëalker and former U.S. Congressman Joe DioGuardi, Rrustemi said he did not know whether his name had been discussed at the Kurti-Abdixhiku meetings.

He praised Bislimi’s contribution to relations between Kosovo and Albanians and the United States of America, describing him as a former deputy and political figure of the LDK, as well as a political activist beyond party lines and a participant in lobbying activities.

Rrustemi stressed that he did not want to take a subjective position on the name and reiterated that public discussion of candidacies before an agreement is reached between the parties could harm the process.

Speaking about the constitutive session of the Assembly, the deputy said that LVV’s political position is that it should not be held without a prior agreement on the president.

According to him, the constitution of the Assembly would also start the 60-day deadline, creating additional pressure on the parties and making dialogue more difficult. Rrustemi argued that such a situation would push the parties to act as though they were on the eve of elections, since the electoral process would begin at the end of this period.

He explained that he could not know when the presiding officer would call the session, but politically he believed that the Assembly should be constituted only after an agreement on the president had been reached. At that point, he said, there would be no reason for delays: the Assembly should first be constituted, followed by the election of the president.

The failure to call the constitutive session has prompted the PDK and the Alliance to organize political actions and activities, calling for the Assembly to be made functional.

Rrustemi also spoke about the incident involving PDK deputy Mërgim Lushtaku. He said there had been no subsequent contact or communication with him, but claimed that during a statement to the media at the Assembly, Lushtaku had attempted to physically obstruct him.

The deputy said that that day he had planned to communicate the Vetëvendosje Movement’s position to journalists. Because of developments in the chamber, journalists initially focused their attention on the session, while later he began speaking to them together with Deputy Gola. According to Rrustemi, Lushtaku attempted to intervene physically to prevent him from making the statement.

Rrustemi described any personal or physical infringement against deputies in the Assembly of Kosovo as unacceptable. He said differences in views and statements were natural, but should not be accompanied by such actions, adding that the incident had not affected his political and public activities.

The LVV deputy also commented on developments at the Special Court concerning former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. He described the KLA’s war as just and liberating, while calling the Special Court unjust both in its creation and in the proceedings, which he said had been accompanied by injustice and violations.

Rrustemi said he expected and hoped for the release of Hashim Thaçi, Rexhep Selimi, Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, who are on trial in The Hague.

Regarding the march announced for September 12 in support of the KLA leaders, he said he saw no reason why representatives of Vetëvendosje should not take part. Rrustemi recalled that voters, supporters, deputies, activists and LVV officials had also participated in previous activities on this issue.

Asked whether acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti would take part in the march, Rrustemi said he could not provide information about the individual participation of each person. He noted that leaders of veterans’ associations had asked Kurti not to participate and had opposed the invitation extended to him.