Prishtina, 28 April 2026
Dear journalists,
Thank you very much for responding positively to our invitation for another address to the public, on the final day when we can elect the new President of the Republic of Kosovo, as the deadline set by the Constitution and the ruling of the Constitutional Court expires tonight at midnight.
You know that the Self-Determination Movement, and I as its leader, have made numerous offers to the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic Party of Kosovo, but to this day all our proposals have been met only with their refusals.
On the other hand, we have received no proposals from the other side on how to overcome this deadlock, this crisis. We indeed won 51.1 percent of the citizens’ vote— Self-Determination Movement together with its partners, the GUXO Party and the Alternativa Party—and we indeed have 57 deputies. The majority has 66 deputies, including minority representatives in the Assembly of the Republic. However, the responsibility to provide the Republic of Kosovo with its full institutions—in this case, in addition to the Assembly Presidency and the Government, also the President of the Republic—does not rest solely with the winner, nor only with the majority.
Therefore, the opposition also bears responsibility in constituting the institutions and fulfilling all our obligations as participants and decision-makers, as representatives of the citizens’ will within the system’s institutions.
We have made calls, proposals, and requested meetings, but none have been successful so far—not due to any fault of Self-Determination Movement or the majority, but because our proposals have been met with refusals.
Last night demonstrated that the Republic of Kosovo can have a new President—Dr. Feride Rushiti—since she received 63 votes in a secret ballot. Sixty-three votes in a 120-member Assembly constitute a majority. Therefore, Feride Rushiti has the votes to be President. What is lacking is the quorum in the Assembly. The Assembly does not have quorum, whereas Feride Rushiti has the votes.
Do not forget that 63 secret votes are more than those held by the Thaçi II Government and more than those of the PAN Government under Prime Minister Haradinaj. Moreover, these are votes cast by secret ballot, which are more difficult to secure than open votes.
So, Feride Rushiti has the votes for President. What we lack is quorum in the Assembly—not due to the majority, but due to the opposition parties. And I believe you have all noticed that four parties are absent from the Assembly: PDK, LDK, AAK, and the Serbian List. However, there is a greater presence of parties inside the Assembly than those absent. Besides Self-Determination Movement and its partners, there are also minority parties present. Thus, in terms of both the number of deputies and the number of parties, we are more numerous inside the Assembly than outside.
Just imagine what a paradox this is: more deputies in the hall than outside, more parties inside the Assembly than those boycotting it, and yet we find ourselves in this institutional deadlock or crisis due to the failure to elect the President—leading us toward new, repeated, unnecessary elections that will cost at least €10 million, plus tens of millions more in lost international funding due to the lack of a functioning Assembly able to adopt decisions.
Now, in this situation, I have faced many of your questions regarding that list from the Democratic League of Kosovo with 15 signatures, which was dated the day before yesterday—also last night—but did not include the name of the candidate those 15 signatures support.
After this continuation of a session that still has not concluded and will resume at 23:00, I immediately contacted the candidate, Professor Hatixhe Hoxha, and spoke with her. She agreed to withdraw her candidacy if the Democratic League of Kosovo submits 15 signatures for its own candidate, whoever that may be.
In that case, Self-Determination Movement would add 15 more signatures from the majority—since those signatures would be freed by Hatixhe Hoxha’s withdrawal—and in this way we would have one candidate from civil society and one from the Democratic League of Kosovo, and tonight we could elect the new President of the Republic.
So, I am here on the second floor of the Assembly, at the office of Self-Determination Movement, C202—I hope you will film this. The Democratic League of Kosovo can find me here to bring me 15 signatures with the name of their presidential candidate. Fifteen signatures from them—Hatixhe Hoxha withdraws—we add another 15 signatures, and thus an LDK candidate qualifies for the presidency, allowing us to proceed tonight without the need to go to elections this spring.
Hatixhe Hoxha has expressed her readiness, and I am grateful and thank her for this approach—to withdraw if we receive these 15 signatures from LDK, with the candidate’s name and today’s date. I insist that the date be today, not any earlier date. No “day before yesterday”—today. Fifteen signatures, the candidate’s name officially. I am waiting for them here, C202, second floor of the Assembly of Kosovo building.
Finally, one more thing before I answer your questions. They may not have all 15 signatures—perhaps they have 14, or maybe 13. Whatever number they have, let them bring them to me. I will take them and complete the rest. Just let the Democratic League of Kosovo bring us their candidate—we will make up whatever is missing. Technically, they should have all the signatures, but if they are short by one or two deputies, we will complete them and proceed.
