Democratic League of Kosovo
Democratic League of Kosovo Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës | |
---|---|
Leader | Lumir Abdixhiku |
Parliamentary leader | Arben Gashi |
Founder | Ibrahim Rugova |
Founded | 23 December 1989 |
Headquarters | Pristina |
Military wing | Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosova |
Ideology | |
Political position | Centre-right |
European affiliation | European People's Party (observer)[4] |
Colours | Red Black |
Assembly | 16 / 120 |
Mayors | 10 / 38 |
Municipal councils | 206 / 994 |
Party flag | |
Website | |
www | |
Constitution and law |
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The Democratic League of Kosovo (Albanian: Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës, LDK) is the oldest and one of the largest political parties in Kosovo.
At the legislative elections held on 24 October 2004 the party won 45.4% of the popular vote and 47 out of 120 seats, seven of which have defected to the Nexhat Daci-led Democratic League of Dardania. One of the founding members, Ibrahim Rugova was the president of the party as the president of Kosovo until his death, on 21 January 2006. At the last legislative elections held on 17 November 2007, the party won only 22.6% and 25 seats but went on to form a Coalition government with Hashim Thaçi's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). In October 2010, the LDK withdrew from the coalition.[5]
History
During the late 1980s, nationalism was on the rise throughout the
Because of its ideology, which was deemed nationalist and separatist, it was banned by the Yugoslavian authorities, together with the self-styled shadow Kosovo Parliament that opposed the ratifications of Kosovo's real assembly in July 1990. As a result, its members proclaimed in protest on the steps of the parliament building the "Republic of Kosova", independent from Yugoslavia, which drafted its own constitution. Claiming that conditions for Albanians were not addressed, the LDK successfully called for a boycott of the Kosovar Albanians of the first free elections in 1990. Following the 1991 population census, in which LDK President Rugova also called for boycott, resulting in only 9,091 Albanians recorded which composed around 2.53% of the Kosovar population, the LDK called the Albanian people to leave and boycott all state institutions until the solution of the Albanian national question. The LDK opposed the centralized control imposed by Belgrade, which reintroduced the Serbian language as the language of Kosovo as well as making other implementations; and they were growing deeply concerned about Belgrade's handling of the Albanian populace with regards to the wider group interests.
By the spring of 1991, the LDK had support from the diaspora in Zürich, Stuttgart and Brussels and numbered a massive membership of approximately 700,000 people.[citation needed] In September 1991 the LDK-constituted shadow Albanian parliament of the self-styled Republic of Kosova adopted a resolution supporting full-scale "Independence and Sovereignty of Kosovo". The LDK then led the "Coordinating Committee of Albanian Political Parties in Yugoslavia" that included most ethnic Albanian political parties in the country. The decision was that only two choices are viable for peace and stability of the region: 1) unification of all Albanian-populated areas in Yugoslavia, or 2) an undivided Albanian state of all Albanians in the Balkans
The LDK was one of the chief organizers of a poorly organized referendum for self-determination in 1992, in which 87% of Kosovo's Albanian population (numbering 80% of the province's population) voted for independence. The referendum was declared illegal and further drove a rift between Albanians and Serbians in Kosovo. In 1992 the
The LDK expressed bitterness when Kosovo was ignored during the
Ideology
The Party initially started out as an
After losing seats consistently under
Critics have said the party has considerably abandoned their traditional, Kosovo-Albanian nationalist policies and policies of their founder
The Democratic League of Kosovo has been described as centrist,[8] centre-right[9][10] and right-wing.[11]
Controversies
Former party leader Isa Mustafa had over 70 cases submitted to the prosecutor over alleged abuse of office while serving as Prishtina mayor.[12] These cases were all thrown out from the prosecutors in charge as the former mayor had no ties with the cases submitted. Former Minister of Culture Astrit Haraqia has been accused of abusing office during 2004–2007 as well as being involved in a large scheme to sell Schengen visas with other party official Ukë Rugova.[13] Suspected of corruption is also current MP Naser Osmani for alleged wrongdoings while in the board of Kosovo Privatisation Agency. He ran and gained a seat in the Assembly despite the accusations.[14] Former Obiliq municipality mayor Mehmet Krasniqi is being investigated for abuse of office.[15] Mehmet Krasniqi has since been found not guilty on the charges.[16]
Former MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo Uke Rugova, the son of the late President Ibrahim Rugova, was accused for alleged involvement in a visa scam by the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo.[17] Kosovo’s Special Prosecution had filed an indictment against Uke Rugova and a number of other individuals linked with the Democratic League of Kosovo over an alleged scam concerning Italian visas.[17] Police from the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo first arrested him in February 2014 when he was a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, according to the charges, Uke Rugova led a criminal group that falsified travel documents for Kosovo nationals.[17]
In October 2020, the
Chairman of the LDK, 1989–present
# | President | Born–Died | Term start | Term end | Time in office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ibrahim Rugova | 1944–2006 | 23 December 1989 | 21 January 2006 | 16 years, 29 days | |
2 | Fatmir Sejdiu | 1951– | 9 December 2006 | 7 November 2010 | 3 years, 333 days | |
3 | Isa Mustafa | 1951– | 7 November 2010 | 14 March 2021 | 10 years, 127 days | |
4 | Lumir Abdixhiku | 1983 – | 14 March 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 42 days |
Elections results
Parliamentary results
Year | Votes | %Votes | Overall seats won | Albanian seats | Position | +/– | Government | Leader |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | 574,755 | 76.44% | 96 / 140 |
96 / 126 |
1st | 96 | Coalition | Ibrahim Rugova |
2001 | 359,851 | 45.7% | 47 / 120 |
47 / 100 |
1st | Coalition | ||
2004 | 313,437 | 45.4% | 47 / 120 |
47 / 100 |
1st | Coalition | ||
2007 | 129,410 | 22.6% | 25 / 120 |
25 / 100 |
2nd | 23 | Coalition | Fatmir Sejdiu |
2010 | 172,552 | 24.7% | 27 / 120 |
27 / 100 |
2nd | 2 | Opposition | Isa Mustafa |
2014 | 184,596 | 25.2% | 30 / 120 |
30 / 100 |
2nd | 3 | Coalition | |
2017 | 185,892 | 25.5% | 23 / 120 |
23 / 100 |
3rd | 7 | Opposition | |
2019 | 206,516 | 24.5% | 28 / 120 |
28 / 100 |
2nd | 5 | Coalition | |
2021 | 110,985 | 12.7% | 15 / 120 |
15 / 100 |
3rd | 13 | Opposition |
Municipal mayor results
Municipalities | Election year | No. of overall votes | % of overall vote | Seats | Government | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | ± | Position | |||||
Gjilan | 2017 | 21,261 | 63.81 (1st) | 11 / 35
|
0 | 1st | LDK |
Istog
|
2017 | 10,033 | 50.03 (1st) | 11 / 27
|
1 | 1st | LDK |
Fushë Kosovë | 2017 | 9,821 | 63.84 (1st) | 12 / 27
|
0 | 1st | LDK |
Lipjan
|
2017 | 17,019 | 59.51 (1st) | 12 / 31
|
3 | 1st | LDK-AKR |
Pejë
|
2017 | 22,014 | 50.23 (1st) | 15 / 35
|
5 | 1st | LDK-PDK |
Vitia
|
2017 | 10,768 | 51.65 (1st) | 10 / 27
|
1 | 1st | LDK-AAK |
Vushtrri | 2017 | 15,122 | 54.24 (1st) | 6 / 35
|
1 | 1st | LDK |
References
- ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2007). "Kosovo". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007.
- ^ Campanile, Carl (30 September 2019). "Kosovo pol brands himself Trump's biggest fan to try to win election". New York Post. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ Zulfaj, Jeton; Mulliqi, Brikena; Shala, Mentor; Tahiri, Petrit (15 April 2008). Political Parties in Kosova – Profile and Ideology (PDF). Çelnaja. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Kosovo in crisis after LDK quits government (SETimes.com)". 2010-10-18. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ^ UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999), Annex 1
- ^ "Onze anciens de l'UÇK jugés coupables de crimes de guerre au Kosovo". 15 June 2023.
- ^ Szpala, Marta (9 October 2019). "Kosovo: sweeping victory for the opposition". Centre for Eastern Studies.
- ^ Hoare, Liam (20 February 2013). "Why Kosovo Still Matters". The Atlantic.
- ^ "Kosovo | European Election Watch". Center for Strategic and International Studies. 2019.
- ^ "Kosovo's Year in Review: Exceptional hardships and challenges". europeanwesternbalkans.com. European Western Balkans. 13 January 2021.
- ^ "Mustafa kërkon suspendimin e zyrtarëve nën hetime, jo edhe të të emëruarve politikë". dialogplus. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Astrit Haraqija, pjesë e grupit 21 personash të Ukë Rugovës për shitje vizash". KOHAnet. KOHA. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "I dyshuari për korrupsion në listën e LDK-së për deputet". KOHAnet. KOHA. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "I akuzuari për korrupsion është Mehmet Krasniqi i LDK-së". Portali Indeksonline. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Shpallet i Pafajshëm ish- Kryetari i Obiliqit". 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b c Leposhtica, Labinot (2016-05-19). "Kosovo Prosecution Indicts Ibrahim Rugova's Son". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
- ^ "Kompanitë që morën më së shumti para nga Qeveria Hoti janë ato që patën më së paku nevojë". Ballkani.info (in Albanian). 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2022-05-23.