PDK, LDK and the Alliance will not attend Haxhiu’s meeting; Kurti and representatives of non-majority communities expected to attend

Acting President of Kosovo Albulena Haxhiu has invited parliamentary parties to a meeting today at 09:00 aimed at finding a solution to the issue of the President.

Her invitation was not accepted by all political entities. Only the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, and the leaders of the non-majority communities are expected to attend the meeting called by Haxhiu.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Alliance have announced that they will not attend the meeting.

PDK lawmaker Uran Ismaili said that his party would not respond positively to Albulena Haxhiu’s invitation.

During a press conference, Ismaili said that Haxhiu should have addressed the Speaker of the Assembly, Avni Dehari, with a request to call a session.

“This is yet another attempt at manipulation by Mr Kurti, by delaying the deadlines in relation to the deadline set by the Constitutional Court. Instead, Ms Albulena Haxhiu should have sent a letter to Avni Dehari asking him to convene the Assembly. Every institution in Kosovo, including political power, functions and is based on the Assembly of Kosovo, while the Assembly is suspended. What logic is there in exercising a mandate and sending letters? The first letter should have been sent to Dehari. PDK will not attend that meeting; we will be in the Assembly,” he said.

The Democratic League of Kosovo has also rejected the meeting. Its leader, Lumir Abdixhiku, said that the LDK holds talks with the leaders of political parties.

“We hold meetings with party leaders. In this case, the only meeting we can have is with the leader of LVV, Albin Kurti. According to our position, Ms Haxhiu is a member of the Assembly, and we can speak only with the people responsible for this issue,” Abdixhiku said.

The Alliance has also announced that it will not attend the meeting called by Haxhiu.

“You are not the elected President of Kosovo and you do not have a mandate to play the role of unifying the political spectrum. You and Kurti are very clear that you are not seeking a meeting to find a solution. You are seeking a meeting to find someone to blame for your decision, which you have already made, to take the country to elections—this time also into institutional chaos.

Your goal is broader. You aim to prolong this deadlock until the date that suits you for holding elections.

The Alliance has understood this game and will not give you an alibi. If you truly wanted the votes and the quorum, you have the Alliance’s six points,” the party’s leader, Ardian Gjini, had written.

Haxhiu responded in a post regarding today’s meeting and the parties’ refusal to attend it. She stressed that three consecutive electoral processes, with similar results, show that the current situation cannot be resolved without political dialogue.

“Three consecutive electoral processes with similar results are ample evidence that without political dialogue, particularly on the issue of the President, there is no solution for moving forward,” Haxhiu wrote.

According to the acting President, although the election of the President is formally presented as a later stage of the institutional process, current circumstances make it the first point from which dialogue must begin.

“It is evident that without an agreement to pave the way for a new electoral process, which in practice will bring nothing new, let alone a solution, there will be no progress,” she said.

Albulena Haxhiu announced that the leaders of all parliamentary political entities had been invited to the meeting, with the aim of reaching a political consensus.

She expressed regret over the decision of the parties that did not accept the invitation.

“The PDK and AAK rejected it as well. I consider this refusal an incorrect and reckless act and, above all, a lack of willingness to overcome entrenched positions,” Haxhiu wrote.