“If Vetevendosje does not consider that it needs the LDK as a partner, then it will not have us as decoration for its rule either. We will remain in opposition and exercise this responsibility with dignity,” Abdixhiku told reporters.

He said the LDK would nevertheless seek a role in choosing the country’s next president, insisting the head of state should be non-partisan and defend Kosova’s constitutional order.

“Let us elect a president who serves the republic, a non-partisan president, not a party president,” Abdixhiku said, rejecting unilateral party nominations and calling for an agreement among political forces.

He said Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti had offered him the post of deputy prime minister and three ministerial positions, but the LDK had rejected the proposal. The party had sought the presidency and government participation, he said.

Kosova has been in an institutional deadlock since snap elections on June 7. Parliament has yet to be constituted, despite the 30-day deadline expiring on Aug. 7.

Vetevendosje has called for a political agreement, particularly on the presidential election, before parliament resumes its constitutive session, while the opposition PDK and Alliance for the Future of Kosovo have called for parliament to be constituted without conditions.

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The letter, signed by Association’s President Armand Duka, said the decision followed further internal consultations and a careful review of recent developments in international football governance.

“Following additional internal consultations and a careful consideration of the situation, the Albanian Football Federation has decided to revoke its previously endorsement for the forthcoming FIFA presidential election,” the Association said.

The move comes amid ongoing discussions within European football circles regarding FIFA’s governance processes and follows positions expressed by several European football associations on the issue.

The Albanian Football Association said it remains committed to close cooperation with UEFA and its international partners, stressing its support for football governance based on transparency, integrity and the long-term interests of the sport.

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The decision follows the return to power of Serb List – the main party representing Kosovo Serbs and backed by Serbia – in the four municipalities after October local elections.

Newly elected mayors from Serb List said earlier this month they would review decisions taken by their Albanian predecessors, pledging a “detailed review of the inherited legal and financial situation” to ensure future decisions comply with the law and serve citizens’ interests.

At their first regular sessions on December 18, municipal assemblies elected new speakers: Nemanja Biševac in North Mitrovica, Srđan Milosavljević in Zvečan, Marko Rakić in Leposaviq and Nemanja Jakšić in Zubin Potok.

North Mitrovica Mayor Milan Radojević said the municipality’s membership in the Association of Kosovo Municipalities had never reflected the will of the local Serb population and described it as a “political decision”.

The four municipalities were led by Albanian mayors from May 2023 until the October 2025 elections, after Serb List representatives resigned in November 2022 as part of a coordinated boycott of Kosovo institutions in protest against government decisions.

Under Albanian-led administrations, the municipalities joined the Association of Kosovo Municipalities in the summer of 2023. The association operates as a non-governmental organisation aimed at exchanging experience and representing members’ interests.

Serb List opposed the move at the time, calling it illegal and not in citizens’ interests. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić also criticised the decision, saying Serb-majority municipalities should belong to an association of Serb-majority municipalities, a body Kosovo and Serbia have repeatedly agreed to establish during EU-mediated dialogue.

Kosovo has yet to take steps to form such an association, despite pressure from the international community.

During their tenure, Albanian mayors also took control of municipal buildings housing Serbian institutions, halted what they described as illegal Serbia-funded construction projects and announced the demolition of unpermitted settlements. North Mitrovica last summer signed a memorandum of understanding with South Mitrovica to build pedestrian and vehicle bridges over the Iber River, a move backed by Kosovo’s government.

Serb List has said it will seek a review of all such decisions.

Under Kosovo’s law on local self-government, decisions deemed inconsistent with the constitution or laws may be subject to review by supervisory bodies, including the Ministry of Local Government Administration.

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