Pozhari: VV-LDK Presidential Talks Risk Ending Without an Agreement

Political consultant Xhevdet Pozhari has said that negotiations between the Vetëvendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo over the election of the president are showing numerous signs that they could end in failure.

Speaking on the program “Këndi i Debatit,” he said both parties are pursuing a tactical approach so that, if the agreement fails and the country heads to new elections, each side can present its own arguments about who is responsible for the situation.

According to Pozhari, if there were complete mutual trust between VV and LDK, the names of potential candidates for president should have been made public by now.

“Three months have passed since June 7, and this issue has been known for a long time. If there were trust between the parties, I think we would already have heard the names of presidential candidates. Politicians often talk about what they aim to achieve, rather than necessarily what is actually on the table,” he said.

He also raised doubts about a scenario in which a proposed candidate might not accept the nomination.

“Kurti has said that these are not names that were consulted in advance. What will happen if the parties agree on a name, but that person does not accept? This is why I say the negotiation process carries a significant risk of failure. The parties are also factoring in the possibility of elections, so that each can have its own version of the reasons for this outcome,” Pozhari said.

Meanwhile, he said that holding elections again would not be a good solution if the aim is to change the will of the citizens.

Pozhari called on political parties to show greater willingness to cooperate and not to use obstruction as a constant method of action.

“The positions of PDK and the Alliance are known. LDK is in a more fragile position, as it has been damaged by the June 7 electoral process, as well as by its internal process, and therefore must act very carefully. It is not helpful to continually push for elections in the hope that the will of the citizens will change, since it is known who has won the elections for the third consecutive time. The parties must cooperate and not always look for reasons to obstruct processes,” he said.

According to him, the political crisis is not related to the Constitution, but to the lack of an agreement between the parties.

“The Constitution is not sick; the problem is that politicians have been infected by the virus of disputes, disagreements, and deep divisions,” Pozhari concluded.

His comments followed Wednesday’s meeting between the leader of the ruling Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, and the leader of the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo, Lumir Abdixhiku. The meeting was held with the aim of reaching an agreement on the election of Kosovo’s new president and ending the nearly two-year institutional crisis.

After the talks, which lasted nearly three hours in Pristina, Kurti and Abdixhiku confirmed that they had discussed “specific names” for the next president, but did not disclose their identities, citing the sensitivity of the process.

“The talks will continue, as mutual trust has increased and, for the first time, we have discussed specific names and spoken with specific individuals,” Kurti said after the meeting.

Abdixhiku said the names discussed with the Vetëvendosje leader were in line with the “principles agreed upon so far.”

He stressed that, due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, he could not reveal the specific candidates at this stage, but added: “We will meet again to conclude the process and elect Kosovo’s next president.”

A potential agreement between VV and LDK, which won 18 seats, would secure at least 81 votes. This would be enough to elect the new president if at least 80 lawmakers were present in the chamber.