Albulena Haxhiu, speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, has welcomed the agreement reached between eight Albanian political forces in the Preševo Valley, which is considered historic for their representation. They will run with the joint “Albanian Coalition” list in Serbia’s parliamentary elections on October 25.
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In a public statement, Haxhiu described the alliance as a prudent political decision, emphasizing that it places the issue of Albanian representation in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa above party interests.
She also highlighted the problems faced by Albanians in Serbia, including the deactivation of residential addresses, the non-recognition of diplomas and their limited presence in public institutions.
After congratulating their leaders for making the agreement possible, Haxhiu pointed out that the Valley’s eight political entities, despite their different positions and histories, had managed to coordinate around a common commitment.
According to her, the importance of this unity is even greater given the discrimination and rights violations against Albanians in Serbia, including restrictions in education, the use of language and symbols, as well as economic exclusion.
She compared these violations with the constitutional guarantees enjoyed by the Serbian minority in Kosovo, which has 10 reserved seats in the Assembly, a deputy speaker of the Assembly and at least one minister in the government. In contrast, Albanians in Serbia are not guaranteed seats in parliament, and their representation is determined solely by the votes, while the deactivation of residential addresses makes it more difficult for them to exercise their right to vote.
Haxhiu added that Serbia continually demands expanded rights for Serbs in Kosovo, while failing to respect even the fundamental rights of Albanians within its own territory. In this situation, she described unity as essential, because splitting the vote could weaken the region’s representation, while a single list would strengthen it.
Haxhiu said that, as representatives of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, they would continue to raise their voice for the rights of Albanians in Serbia and would further increase institutional support for them.
In closing, she emphasized that the vote of every Albanian from the Valley on October 25 would be decisive and wished the candidates on the joint list success.
