WHO is WHO - Ardita Sinani: Kurti's asset for southern Serbia

Ardita Sinani, a member of the Party for Democratic Action (PDD) led by Shaip Kamberi, has been elected as the mayor of Presevo for the third time in the past seven years. She assumed this position after serving as a political advisor to Albin Kurti, who supported her during the local elections in June, aiming to expand his influence in southern Serbia through her.

Following her appointment, Sinani told media in Pristina that the role and contribution of Tirana and Pristina would never be considered interference in domestic affairs and that coordination would continue, “because the rights of the minority are increasingly being violated by the Serbian authorities each day.”

“First, to return governance to the hands of the citizens and restore the severely damaged image of the municipality across the country. For our government, the role and contribution of Tirana and Pristina will never be seen as interfering in domestic matters, but coordination of political steps with our two national centers will be consistent and ongoing, as the violation of minority rights grows daily under the autocratic rule of Belgrade,” she said.

Sinani's election followed her victory in the local elections on June 2. Despite being the top candidate and receiving support from Albin Kurti, her party did not have a majority to govern alone. Therefore, with Kurti’s help, a local coalition was formed.

Commenting on Ardita Sinani's victory, the president of the Albanian National Council in Serbia, Demo Berisa, previously told Kosovo Online that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's desire to control Albanians in the region and beyond has proven to be disastrous.

“It has become evident that Albin Kurti has completely divided voters in these local elections, which saw low turnout and many participants. We will certainly see further influence of Kurti in Presevo, but he will completely lose influence in Bujanovac, as his party is third in strength among Albanian parties there,” Berisa said.

He reminded that the final PDD convention was held in Pristina, not in Presevo or Bujanovac, indicating the continuation of Albin Kurti’s policy of interfering in elections in the region.

Sinani began her political career when Riza Halimi, who founded the PDD, was the mayor of Presevo. She joined his office and was elected president of the party branch for Presevo in December 2015. In the 2016 Serbian parliamentary elections, she was a list leader. The PDD won one parliamentary seat, which was given to Fatmir Hasani.

She first became mayor of Presevo in 2017, and again in 2021. She was removed from office in April 2022, following accusations of mismanagement of subsidies.

The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Nis filed charges against her on suspicion that she abused her official position to provide "material benefits" to two entrepreneurs from Presevo based on the allocation of subsidies for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Kurti opposed her removal and later appointed her as his political advisor for Bujanovac, Presevo, and Medvedja.

“The next step will be the establishment of the Office for Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja within the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, which I will coordinate, especially regarding the severe socio-economic situation of our citizens,” Sinani stated after her appointment.

During her political career, Sinani has advocated for addressing the Presevo issue within the framework of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

"Collaboration between representatives of Presevo, Pristina, and Tirana must be coordinated and aligned to advance the processes, especially at this delicate stage concerning Albanians from Presevo and the final stage of the dialogue, which is of vital importance. It is essential to discuss the Presevo issue at the negotiating table,” emphasized Sinani.

In this context, among other things, she visited Brussels last year with Besnik Bislimi. Before the trip, she announced that she, along with other members of the delegation, would "raise the issue of Albanians from Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovac in the European Parliament and the Council of Europe."

In an interview last year, Sinani called for "reciprocity in rights between Serbs in Kosovo and Albanians in Serbia" as the most suitable model for a long-term solution, claiming that Serbs in Kosovo are treated incomparably better than Albanians living in Serbia. She openly suggested that Bujanovac, Medvedja, and Presevo should either receive the same status as North Kosovo, be granted autonomy, or become part of Kosovo.

Ardita Sinani was born on November 15, 1980. She completed her primary and secondary education in Presevo and studied at the Faculty of Economics in Pristina.

She worked as a computer science teacher in high school and, in an interview, mentioned that her biography is “quite simple.”

“I am married and the mother of two children. By profession, I am a graduated economist in management and information technology. I graduated in Pristina in 2003,” she said.