Betim Gjoshi, a member of the leadership of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), has condemned President Vjosa Osmani’s decision not to appoint the party’s second representative to the Central Election Commission (CEC), calling it a breach of the Constitution, democracy, and electoral standards.
Speaking at a press conference, Gjoshi stated that Osmani’s refusal, and her decision to defer the matter to the Constitutional Court, intentionally undermines PDK’s representation in the CEC and weakens the role of the opposition during a critical political phase.
“On March 9, the President requested that we submit our candidates for CEC membership in writing — plural, not just one candidate as she has now certified. Therefore, she must explain to citizens what led her to deviate from the constitutional and legal process for appointing PDK members to the CEC,” Gjoshi said.
He noted that the refusal violates Paragraph 4 of Article 139 of the Constitution, which stipulates that six CEC members are to be appointed by the six largest parliamentary groups, specifically the Albanian political parties represented in the Assembly — currently LVV, PDK, LDK, and AAK.
“In short, the Constitution ensures proportional representation of the largest parliamentary groups. Since there are only four Albanian groups in the Assembly following the December 28 elections, the additional members are to be appointed by the two largest groups — LVV and PDK,” Gjoshi explained.
Gjoshi warned that this development not only undermines the opposition but also threatens the legitimacy of elections and Kosovo’s democratic standards. He confirmed that PDK will pursue all legal avenues to secure its right to representation in the CEC as guaranteed by the Constitution.
He recalled a similar situation in 2021, when President Osmani attempted to block the appointment of PDK’s second CEC member but ultimately did not proceed after the Constitutional Court declined to address the matter, preventing a dangerous precedent of political capture of the election body.
Gjoshi expressed concern that if the Constitutional Court does not act promptly, Albulena Haxhiu, acting as President after April 4, could arbitrarily decide against PDK’s constitutional right to two CEC seats.
“This would give LVV opportunities to violate electoral laws and regulations in subsequent elections. We have all witnessed the unlawful actions instigated by LVV during the February 9, October 12, and December 28, 2025 elections. Such actions risk undermining the electoral process and rejecting legitimate results,” he said, citing threats previously made by an LVV CEC representative against members of the commission, including the Turkish community representative, for supporting PDK’s amendments regarding overseas voting procedures.
