Dimal Basha elected speaker of Kosovo Assembly
Nearly six months after Kosovo’s February 9 general election, lawmakers on Tuesday elected Dimal Basha as the new Speaker of the Assembly.
In the parliamentary session, Basha, a member of Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s ruling Self-Determination Movement (Vetevendosje), received 73 votes in favor, 30 against, and 3 abstentions.
His election became possible after Vetevendosje secured the backing of the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the second-largest force in parliament.
Following the vote, Basha described the Assembly as “the heart of democracy” and emphasized its role as the institution where the voices of all citizens are represented.
The appointment ends months of political deadlock. Since the February election, the Assembly convened repeatedly but failed to elect a speaker. Vetevendosje’s earlier nominee, Albulena Haxhiu, was unable to secure the necessary cross-party support. Between April 15 and July 26, deputies gathered 54 times without result.
Who is Dimal Basha?
Born on October 12, 1979, in Pristina, Basha studied at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and earned a master’s degree in International Relations from The New School University. First elected to parliament in 2009, he is now serving his third term as a deputy.
