PDK leader Bedri Hamza resigns in Kosovo — Balkan Insight

In Kosovo, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Bedri Hamza announced his resignation as head of the political force, a position he had held for less than a year. The PDK is currently the country’s largest opposition party, Balkan Insight reports.

Internal party elections

Hamza said his decision would make it possible to launch an internal election process during which PDK members will determine the party’s future leadership. He also advocated for broader youth participation in this process.

According to Hamza, he irrevocably stepped down as chairman after a meeting of the party’s presidency. At the same time, the politician stressed that he is not leaving the PDK and continues to share its political values.

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PDK’s position in parliament

According to Balkan Insight, Hamza’s resignation came five weeks after a war crimes court in The Hague found two previous PDK leaders — Hashim Thaçi and Kadri Veseli — guilty of war crimes and sentenced them to 25 and 18 years in prison, respectively.

The PDK was formed after the 1998–1999 war in Kosovo from the senior leadership of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The party first came to power in 2007, and the following year, during its rule, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. In the June parliamentary elections, the PDK won 22 of 120 seats, while Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje party received 53 mandates.