KOSOVO PARLIAMENT ELECTS VJOSA OSMANI AS NEW NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Mon 05 April 2021:

The 38-year-old reformist and lawyer Vjosa Osmani was approved as president by the country’s parliament in Pristina on Sunday with the backing of Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party.

Osmani received 71 votes from the lawmakers at the third round of voting in the Assembly of Kosovo.

While 82 deputies participated in the vote in the 120-member parliament, 11 votes were declared invalid.

Vjosa Osmani took over as acting president of Kosovo last November when her predecessor, Hashim Thaçi, resigned ahead of his impending war crimes trial in the Netherlands.

Osmani’s initial mandate expired when the new government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the head of Vetevendosje, took over following the 14 February election.

The 38-year-old politician studied law at the University of Pristina in Kosovo and earned a doctorate from Pittsburgh University in the US.

Serving as the parliament speaker in Kosovo, Osmani also served as the acting president after the resignation of former President Hashim Thaci.

let me present yall the new president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu
today’s a happy day for Kosovo and the start of a bright future 💃🏼💃🏼 pic.twitter.com/m2PMSWoPfp

— is this kevin²⁸🌵 زين (@1503AKRUist) April 5, 2021

Osmani represents a type of young Kosovar more familiar with life in the West and frustrated with the nepotism and ineffectiveness of the country’s traditional parties.

In a speech, Osmani called for a dialogue aimed at normalising ties with Serbia, but said Belgrade must first apologise and prosecute those responsible for war crimes committed during the 1998-99 war that ultimately led to Kosovo becoming independent in 2008.

“Peace would be achieved only when we see remorse and an apology from Serbia and when we see justice for those who have suffered from their crimes,” Osmani said.

Married with two children, Osmani speaks English, Turkish, Spanish, and Serbian besides her native language Albanian.

In her remarks in parliament following the election, Osmani mentioned the difficult times leading Kosovo to freedom and independence.

“We will be eternally grateful to those who stand by Kosovo through freedom and independence and the establishment of the state. Today we ask them to stand by our side in our common goals for rapid integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, in the development of the economy, in ensuring equity and in the general wellbeing of the country,” she said.