Sljuka: Self-Determination outplayed the DPK, LDK the loser

Aleksandar Sljuka, an associate of the NGO New Social Initiative, believes that Self-Determination outplayed the Democratic Party of Kosovo by reaching an agreement on the election of Kosovo's president and adopting amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers, while he sees the Democratic League of Kosovo as the biggest loser in the process.

Sljuka told Kosovo Online that it was only after the verdict against former KLA leaders in The Hague on September 16 that a situation arose in which the PDK could “bargain.”

“They wanted to push through amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers, and Kurti saw an opportunity to strike a deal with the PDK in exchange for its support in the presidential election, which is ultimately what happened,” Sljuka said.

According to him, Albin Kurti's Self-Determination emerged victorious from the entire situation.

“It was believed that there would be new elections. However, it seems to me that with a president who is, I would say, aligned with Self-Determination, there will not be many problems. This situation suits them better, and they now finally have all the institutions in place and can govern without hindrance for the next four years, if they choose to do so, provided no unforeseen circumstances arise,” our interlocutor said.

He added that the PDK had been outmaneuvered in this situation, despite claims that it had forced Kurti to “back down.”

“I do not share that view. We have seen the European Union issue a statement, and common sense also tells us that the amendments they bargained for are essentially unconstitutional. The European Union said that they run counter to Kosovo's European path, and I do not know how they could be implemented in practice. I therefore believe that they bargained for something that cannot fundamentally be put into effect, while Kurti gained the opportunity to establish all the institutions, with a candidate who suits him,” Sljuka said.

He also believes that the LDK is the biggest loser.

“A few months ago, it was in a situation similar to the PDK's, perhaps even a better one, in the sense that it was directly involved in the election of the president. It could even have negotiated its way into the government, as there was talk of several ministerial positions. At the time, this did not happen because of a split within the LDK. Later, it was not involved in these political calculations at all. It completely undermined its own position, because just a few months ago the opposition saw it as a party undermining opposition unity,” Sljuka said.

He noted that the close ties between the leaders of Self-Determination, the PDK and the Alliance were also evident during the October 6 session, while the LDK leaders remained on the sidelines.

“In other words, I believe Self-Determination emerged as the winner of this entire situation, while all the opposition parties are losers, because Kurti is now in a position to govern for four years without new elections. The question is what the opposition will look like four years from now,” Sljuka said.