Rapajic: Osmani can hardly run alone in elections, coalition with LDK logical but uncertain

Program director of the NGO Center for Advocacy of Democratic Culture from North Mitrovica Aleksandar Rapajic assessed for Kosovo Online that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani could hardly run independently in potential snap elections and that cooperation with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) would suit both her and the party.

Rapajic says that after the recent political tensions between Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani, the Kosovo president might seek a coalition partner for a possible election run.

“Her strength is probably not sufficient to pass the five percent threshold. We also see that in the party she belongs to, Guxo, major problems have arisen, with many people leaving the party and moving to the Self-Determination Movement, so her importance is increasingly weakening,” our interlocutor points out.

He adds that the most logical step would be for her to join the LDK, of which she was previously a member, but he reminds that she did not part with that party on the best terms.

“The question is how realistic it is for cooperation with the current leadership to happen again,” Rapajic said.

He says that such a coalition could nevertheless be useful for both sides, since the LDK is also facing a decline in support compared with the previous elections.

“The Democratic League is also in trouble, and Osmani is in trouble, so that might suit both sides. We know that the LDK experienced a decline in the last elections, so any increase in support would be significant for them. Osmani, as I already said, is in trouble, and I do not believe she can run alone in elections. She would have to enter a coalition with someone, so that would suit both sides, but because of the way they parted, that option seems somewhat unlikely to me,” Rapajic said.

Speaking about the popularity of the Kosovo president, Rapajic believes that her current rating is more the result of political circumstances than of concrete political moves.

“Osmani’s current popularity is, how should I say, undeserved. More precisely, it did not come because of her actions, but due to circumstances in which she appeared several times next to US President Donald Trump, which raised her rating in Kosovo to a certain extent, especially because of the not-so-good relations that the current government has with the US administration,” he said.

However, Rapajic believes that such a rating may only be temporary if it is not accompanied by a clear political platform.

“I think that this is only temporary and that for greater support from citizens she would need to have a certain policy, and so far she has not had any significant political positions, mostly following the positions of Self-Determination,” he concluded.