President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, held a press conference yesterday where she announced the withdrawal of her request submitted to the Constitutional Court on July 22, concerning the constitutive session of the Assembly. The decision came after the appointment of Serbian judge Radomir Laban as the reporting judge on the matter.
According to Osmani, Judge Laban has been identified as a threat to Kosovo’s national security, based on intelligence reports from 2018, 2021, and 2024.
“Withdrawing this request is necessary. It is absurd to expect that our constitutional order be defended by someone who, according to security institutions, poses a threat to it,” Osmani stated during the press conference on Tuesday.
She clarified that Judge Laban was not appointed by her, but in 2018, and that the dismissal of a Constitutional Court judge requires a two-thirds majority of court members—making Presidential intervention impossible without a formal proposal from the court itself.
Osmani Urges MPs to Seek Clarity from the Court
Osmani encouraged Members of Parliament to approach the Constitutional Court after decisions are made on the cases initiated by the PDK and LDK.
“I want to encourage the MPs of the Republic of Kosovo, who have full mandate, to address the Constitutional Court once decisions on the PDK and LDK cases are published. For any remaining ambiguities after that ruling, they should turn directly to the Court—hoping the same reporting judge won’t be appointed again,” she said.
“I would not encourage any institution to leave such a sensitive issue in the Constitutional Court if that judge is appointed, at least not until the matter is fully clarified by our justice institutions,” she added.
Criticism of the Special Court
President Osmani also criticized the Special Court, describing it as deeply concerning for accepting materials from Serbia.
“It is extremely worrying that a court established by the Republic of Kosovo—one legally and constitutionally bound to operate under Kosovo’s judicial system—would accept evidence produced by the state of Serbia,” she said.
“History has proven that every piece of evidence produced by Serbia, especially against the Albanian people and the KLA, is falsified with the sole intent of rewriting history,” Osmani added.
She noted that Kosovo institutions have formally expressed concerns over the use of such materials and called for unity in defending the country’s liberation struggle:
“It is unfortunate for the entire region that remnants of the Milosevic regime still lead Serbia, and because the same 1990s mindset dominates, they continue using the same methods. We must all—institutions, citizens, people, and nation—unite to defend the just and liberating war of the Republic of Kosovo,” she concluded.
Current Situation at the Constitutional Court
On July 22, President Osmani submitted a request to the Constitutional Court seeking clarification on the legal consequences if the Assembly is not constituted within the 30-day deadline. The deadline expired on July 26, and the Court issued a temporary injunction prohibiting further actions by MPs until August 8. The Court is currently reviewing requests from PDK and LDK regarding the same issue.
