LDK sweeps out old guard, elects Lumir Abdixhiku as new leader

English

Gazeta Express

14/03/2021 14:18

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has changed its leadership sending to retirement the old guard. As of today, the new chairman of the oldest political party in Kosovo is Lumir Abdixhiku.

The 37-year-old Abdixhiku has been elected Sunday as the new chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) in the third Convention of this party. Abdixhiku who holds a PhD in Economics, is the youngest leader the LDK has ever elected, and he is taking the lead after the LDK’s worst performance in national elections since its establishment, winning only 12.7 percent of votes in February 14.  

Abdixhiku was officially part of the LDK since 2017 and he has been elected three times as MP. In February election he was one of the three most voted candidates of the LDK.

The LDK was always under criticism of failing to reform and all the decisions were taken by the so-called “old guard” who were part of the LDK for decades now.

Despite rumours of Abvdixhiku’s close relations with former LDK head Isa Mustafa, recently at least publicly, Abdixhiku was against decisions of the party’s leadership. He even refused to take a ministerial post in the LDK led Government, after LDK initiated a no confidence motion in Albin Kurti’s Government in March 2020.  

Abdixhiku’s competed for the party’s leadership with Lutfi Haziri, deputy head of the LDK, who is member of this party for decades now. The other candidate was Besian Mustafa, the son of the late LDK activist Xhemajl Mustafa, who was shot dead after the war in Kosovo.

After certification of Kosovo elections on Saturday the LDK was ranked as third with only 12.76 percent of Votes. Due to poor performance in election, Isa Mustafa stepped down as the LDK chairman paving the way for an extraordinary election convention which was held Sunday in Pristina. /GazetaExpress/