One article leaves to usurp the LDK Chief race, initiative to change the Statut

Eqrem Kryeziu, once deputy chairman of the LDK, says Article 21 of the Party's Statut is a project to keep the party under control that came second in the last national elections.

“This article in the party statute is the LDK logo usurpation project. Shame”, Kryeziu said briefly.

Article 25, point 2 in the Democratic League of Kosovo statute, says the nomination for chairmanship takes place in the Assembly, and each candidacy must be approved by 50 per cent plus 1 of the delegates present.

This article was opposed by the vice-president of this party, Vjosa Osmani, when the works of the party's ninth Parliament were held in August 2019 when Isa Mustafa was reconfirmed as LDK chief without counterCandidates.

The current Parliament Speaker had said that the 50% + 1 rate from the party statute, which is undemocratic, should be removed before.

She had even promised that her primary commitment would be to start changing this article into the party statute.

The Express newspaper has asked LDK chief and former prime ministerial candidate from LDK) whether it has initiated any amendments to the statute in party decision-making bodies, but Osman has not responded.

Even LDK deputy Driton Selmanaj has not seen reason to talk about the issue when he was asked by the Express newspaper.

Deputy Besa Gager has spoken. He has said that this article does not allow large and unnecessary numbers of candidates for LDK chief.

Nevertheless, she says the race would have to be allowed for more than one candidate.

“. . so this article has its own reason, even though my proposal was and it is that the candidacys will be declared in the assembly each with its own platform and approved in packages by delegates, if they don't have reasonable, status-based remarks for any of the@x1> candidates, Gager said.

This LDK official has said that the problem continues to be gender representation rather than running for Party Chief.

Analyst Imer Mushkolaj shares Vjosa Osmani's opinion when it comes to the article that cannot defeat the LDK chief race. He said this article is the control mechanism of the current LDK chief over others.

“Noni is undemocratic and undermines the fair race within the party. This article fails to beat the fair race to all who in advance do not have the support of party leader”, Mushkolaj told Gazeta Express.

Mosskolaj further says removing this article would enable the candidacy of members of LDKA who do not have internal coalitions.

This article's key would make it possible for each member of LDK to run for chairman, without the need for non-democratic alliances inside”, Mushkolaj said.

Kosovo Institute for Justice Director Ehat Miftaraj says the LDK%a as the oldest established party will have to offer all members equal opportunities to run for chairmanship.

The Democratic Order of Kosovo is the oldest party in the Republic of Kosovo established in 1989, as a party which is synonymous with political pluralism in the Republic of Kosovo. The LDK is also among the values it promotes are commitment against any political monopoly and ideological exclusiveity. Moreover, this party as democratic value promotes both conscientious freedom and political beliefs. All these values would make sense if the same were implemented and offered equal opportunities for all its members to realise their right to run for the chairman of this party”, Miftaraj said.

He also said the 50% plus 1 member rate limits the possibility that members who have popular support can be elected to the party's helm.

The definition that the candidate to declare the party's candidacy for this 50% plus one member is contrary to the values and principles this party promotes. Such an approach greatly limits the possibility that new members or those who have popular support can come to the helm of this party if the same do not have the support of members of the Assembly. This in practice is extremely difficult when the old members or even the party's large-scale chairman has control over the party and members of the Assembly”, Miftaraj said.

The Democratic League of Kosovo has held its ninth Electoral Assembly on August 3rd, 2019. In that assembly, Isa Mustafa was elected president of advertising because he did not oppose the candidate. Former party leader Fatmir Sejdiu claimed to be involved in the race for LDK chief, but Sejdiu received only 78 votes of delegates, failing to meet the condition that he get 50 per cent of the vote plus one delegate.