Xhafer Gashi steps down from all LDK positions after stance on Specialized Chambers

Xhafer Gashi has announced his irrevocable resignation from every position he has held in the Democratic League of Kosovo, including heading the LDK branch in Obiliq.

The decision was made public through a statement in which Gashi explained that the reason was the LDK’s failure to vote on the law amending the Law on Specialized Chambers. According to him, this position has caused great dissatisfaction among the members of the Obiliq branch.

Gashi said that the party’s position on this issue does not accord with his conscience and personal responsibility. For this reason, he felt that he could not continue exercising his party positions.

He made clear that even after leaving his positions in the LDK, he would continue serving Kosovo and remain close to citizens, fellow freedom fighters, and the families of the fallen.

In his statement, which he titled “The fatherland comes before all,” Gashi addressed LDK members, the citizens of Obiliq, and all the people of Kosovo.

He announced that he had made the decision together with the group of LDK lawmakers, emphasizing that there are moments when a person must choose between holding a position and remaining loyal to the ideals that have guided his life.

Gashi reiterated that the failure to vote on the law amending the Law on Specialized Chambers has caused deep indignation in the LDK branch in Obiliq and among the group of lawmakers. He said that he shares this concern and that, as the branch leader, he considered it his duty to respond with personal responsibility.

Speaking about his past, Gashi said that his commitment to Kosovo’s freedom began during the years of clandestine activity, when expressing the demand for freedom entailed risk and commitment to the fatherland was accompanied by persecution.

He mentioned Fahri Fazliu and Afrim Zhita as figures who continue to represent the ideal of freedom in his conscience, while their names, according to Gashi, remind him of the sacrifices of the people who enabled Kosovo’s liberation.

Gashi also recalled his commitment during the war, alongside Defense Minister Ahmet Krasniqi, as well as his subsequent service in the Advanced Command, Operational Group III, and the 138th Brigade “Agim Ramadani.” During this period, he said, he had worked alongside Rrustem Berisha, Agim Ramadani, Sali Çekaj, Anton Quni, Xhemajl Fetahaj, and other fellow freedom fighters.

According to him, during the war years, responsibility for the fatherland had taken on the weight of one’s own life, while sacrifices were made with the conviction that future generations would be given the opportunity to live in freedom.

Gashi said that young people born in free Kosovo remind him of those who did not have the opportunity to see this day. He also mentioned the families who continue to preserve photographs, memories, and the absence of their loved ones, emphasizing that every public duty must be carried out with dignity toward their sacrifices.

He added that he had also sought to fulfill this responsibility during peacetime, through institutional service and during the years when he served as mayor of Obiliq. According to him, the trust of citizens gave him strength, but at the same time reminded him that public office has value only when it serves the country and its citizens.

For Gashi, defending the dignity of the liberation war and the demand for justice are obligations that are not limited by party affiliation. He said that on an issue of particular importance to Kosovo, representatives must listen to citizens and understand the weight of their concerns.

He emphasized that this position does not undermine his conviction that justice must prevail. According to Gashi, responsibility must be individual, determined on the basis of evidence and through an impartial process, rather than through a process that has been subject to numerous allegations because it is political and seeks to destroy the KLA and the values it represents in Kosovo’s freedom.

Gashi said that at this moment, the fatherland must be placed above narrow party interests. He declared that he could not remain in his positions when the party’s stance conflicts with his conscience and with the responsibility he feels toward the people he represents. According to him, silence would have been more burdensome than resignation.

On this occasion, Xhafer Gashi announced his resignation from the following LDK positions:

Member of the General Council;

Member of the Presidency;

Head of the LDK Branch in Obiliq.

He emphasized that the decision was made personally, with full consciousness and responsibility, while every associate and member of the LDK Branch in Obiliq, according to him, is free to decide according to his own conscience.

Gashi thanked his family, which, he said, had shared his absences, concerns, and sacrifices over the years. He described his family’s support as a source of strength during the most difficult days and at the present moment.

He also expressed gratitude to the membership of the LDK Branch in Obiliq, the lawmakers, associates, and citizens for the trust and support they had given him. Gashi said that the joint work and human relationships built over the years would remain important to him.

He especially thanked the citizens who have supported and continue to support this cause through peaceful protests and vigils outside the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. According to him, their resistance expresses pain, dignity, and loyalty to the memory, while their voice must be heard within the institution located in a free Kosovo.

In conclusion, Xhafer Gashi declared that he would continue serving the country and remain close to citizens, fellow freedom fighters, and the families who bear the weight of the sacrifice for freedom.

“We may leave positions. Responsibility toward the fatherland is ours for life,” he concluded.

Xhafer Gashi