Osmani: Bekim Sejdiu is an honor for Kosovo, LDK is not influenced by political “traps

Former Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani praised Professor Dr. Bekim Sejdiu’s candidacy for the post of president of the Republic of Kosovo, declaring that he meets the criteria approved by the parliamentary group of the Democratic League of Kosovo.

According to Osmani, the proposal of Sejdiu is also in line with the decision of the LDK Council, which called on the party to work toward establishing Kosovo’s institutions.

“Mr. Sejdiu’s candidacy is an honor for the entire Republic of Kosovo. He meets the criteria on which we unanimously agreed at the last meeting of the parliamentary group and respects the decision of the Council of the Democratic League of Kosovo, which called on the chairman of the LDK to do everything possible to provide Kosovo with institutions,” Osmani said.

She added that Sejdiu’s election would enable the country to continue working to protect democracy and the Constitution, as well as to strengthen its alliances.

Osmani also highlighted Sejdiu’s professional experience, describing it as extraordinary and always oriented toward the interests of the Republic of Kosovo.

“Professor Dr. Bekim Sejdiu’s experience in these fields has been extraordinary and has, in every instance, served the interests of the Republic of Kosovo. As the Democratic League of Kosovo, we have made a compromise by placing Kosovo’s interests above any individual or party interest,” she declared.

According to the former president, responsibility for creating stable institutions does not belong only to the LDK, but to all members of the Kosovo Assembly.

“Every member of the Kosovo Assembly has a historic responsibility to provide the country with stable institutions. Kosovo needs a presidency that will continue to protect its alliances, including the strategic partnership with the United States of America, as well as the Constitution and democratic principles,” Osmani said.

She expressed her conviction that Bekim Sejdiu is capable of fulfilling these responsibilities and that his election would do Kosovo honor.

Osmani said the LDK had nominated Sejdiu as a contribution to the country and that this decision places the national interest above any other consideration.

Regarding the possibility of Sejdiu securing the necessary support in the Assembly, Osmani said she wanted to remain optimistic, as, in her view, there was no reason to reject his candidacy. She announced that the LDK parliamentary group would hold a meeting on the matter.

Asked whether she had discussed with Sejdiu the constitutional violations that, according to her, had been committed by the government, Osmani said he would be able to answer these questions himself if elected president.

“When the next president of the Republic of Kosovo is elected, I am convinced that he will gladly answer these questions. I have expressed my views on various topics. On some issues I agreed at that time, while on others I did not agree at all, and you know that,” she said.

Osmani explained that during her term, Sejdiu served as an external expert to the presidency and provided advice on a wide range of issues.

She mentioned his contribution to relations with the United States of America, the Euro-Atlantic integration processes, dealing with Serbia, and the constitutional issues faced by the presidency.

“Professor Sejdiu was an external expert to the presidency and advised us on various areas. He contributed particularly to relations with the United States of America, Euro-Atlantic integration issues, and dealing with Serbia,” the former president declared.

According to her, Sejdiu had helped the presidency prepare for its numerous confrontations with Serbia, as well as for various constitutional issues during her term.

Osmani said that, if he assumes the presidency, Sejdiu will have his own assessment and position on each issue and will speak publicly whenever doing so is in Kosovo’s interest.

Asked about a statement by Armend Zemaj, who had described Sejdiu’s candidacy as “a trap set by Albin Kurti,” Osmani rejected this interpretation.

“The LDK does not fall into anyone’s traps. We proudly nominated Professor Bekim Sejdiu, and the overwhelming majority of LDK members have known him for a very long time. Many of the current members of the parliamentary group have known about his contribution since the 1990s, while some have known it since 2007. His name is not a trap, but an honor for the Republic of Kosovo,” Osmani said.

Osmani explained that the candidacy must first go through the LDK’s internal procedures before being submitted to the Assembly.

“The procedures in the LDK have always been as follows: first, a principled agreement is reached, because without the agreement of the parliamentary group, it is not possible to proceed to the Kosovo Assembly. We have agreed on the principles and criteria that the candidate must meet,” she said.

She stressed that the parliamentary group had unanimously decided that the candidate should be non-partisan and declared that Sejdiu meets these conditions, while his contribution to the state of Kosovo makes him deserving of the LDK’s support.

Osmani said the LDK should not focus on the positions of other parties, but on the support it itself would give to Sejdiu’s candidacy, as, in her view, this serves the country’s interests.

“We have no reason to think about the other parties. We should focus on the support that we, as the Democratic League of Kosovo, will give him, because this is in the country’s interest. It is also in Kosovo’s interest to avoid new elections, from which citizens do not benefit. The ongoing blockades and deadlocks have caused significant damage within the country and on the international stage,” Osmani concluded.