After five years at the helm of the state, the process does not end there.
Vjosa Osmani is aiming for a second term as President of the Republic of Kosovo, a position that has been frequently mentioned throughout the election campaign.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Osmani said that she will hold discussions with deputies from both the governing parties and the opposition regarding her candidacy.
“I will speak with all Albanian parties and with non-Serb minority parties. Naturally, many of them have already expressed their positions in meetings with me, but we will need to sit down, discuss, and see—first of all—whether they want continuity in defending citizens’ interests and whether they want the citizens’ will to be heard, which is clear. In the vast majority of surveys, around 81 percent of citizens of the Republic want a second mandate. We will see whether the deputies want to materialize this will. For me, this is simply an opportunity to serve the country. If the deputies of the Assembly of Kosovo do not wish this, then I will continue to serve the country in other capacities. There are other ways in which I can remain engaged in politics,” Osmani said.
Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, stated on Sunday evening—after declaring victory in the 28 December elections—that he will first discuss this issue with Osmani and then with other political parties.
However, both the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) said they are waiting first for the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of institutions arising from the elections before discussing the presidential issue.
Meanwhile, Anton Quni, a former LDK deputy from the previous legislature, said that the matter will be decided within the party’s internal structures.
“The Democratic League of Kosovo, as the first pluralistic and state-building party in the country, has consistently demonstrated that its priority remains political stability and the proper functioning of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. LDK is a party with a clear democratic structure. Any decision of this nature will be addressed and treated with the utmost seriousness in the party’s decision-making bodies. Our decisions will always be based on the interest of citizens, respect for the Constitution, and alignment with our programmatic orientation. Once these bodies take an official stance, it will be communicated transparently to the public,” Quni stated.
Political analysts also do not expect a quick resolution to this issue.
According to analyst Adrian Zeqiri, opposition parties—particularly PDK and LDK—are still recovering from their poor electoral results, and their leaderships are currently “paralyzed” when it comes to taking a definitive position on the presidency.
“In PDK, I expect they will wait for the outcome of the trial of their former leaders, while in LDK the situation is even more complicated,” Zeqiri said.
Vjosa Osmani was elected President of Kosovo in 2021, and her mandate expires in March of next year. Prior to that, she served as Acting President from November 2020, after Hashim Thaçi resigned to face charges at the Specialist Chambers.
Before becoming president, Osmani ran on the electoral list of the Vetëvendosje Movement.
