Duda Balje: Today as a party we have decided to go into opposition

The elected MP from the Bosniak community, Duda Balje, has said that she has decided to remain in the opposition, stating that her vote is not a "decisive vote" for the position of speaker of the parliament and the formation of the Government.

Balje said that the party leadership has decided to be in opposition and does not believe there will be any change.

"Now, even if I were in the opposition, nothing would change. I am sure that Vetëvendosje will find a solution. Today we decided to go into the opposition. Today we decided and I do not believe that any change will happen," declared Duda Balje.

She said that during this recent period she has only met with Albin Kurti once, and the meeting, according to her, was with Emilja Rexhepi.

"I have only gone to a meeting with the prime minister once, in the second meeting I was with Emilja Rexhepi. There I received the proposal for minister, I have not had a meeting with the prime minister since," said Balje.

She said that her request was the beginning of the process for a Bosniak municipality in Kosovo, not the position of minister in the Government.

"I know that the formation of the municipality is a process that can take another 4-5 years. As far as I understood from the Prime Minister, he is very much against it. Voting in the Assembly is the last stage, even if it doesn't go well, that's okay. Even if the MPs don't vote, I can't put pressure on them for votes. I have been in the opposition for four years, I have not had good cooperation with Vetëvendosje, in these four years I have had a deputy minister and two councilors. In other words, for these positions I have voted for everything," she said.

Balje said that the last two weeks have been very difficult for her, after making public her request for the establishment of a Bosniak municipality in Kosovo.

In a direct connection via telephone to "Kallxo Pernime"Balje said that there have been many insults and humiliations against her.

"I have experienced these two weeks very difficult, so many insults, humiliations, so much misunderstanding. Now I am a little...now I understood that we, the multiethnic deputies, if we have a little more concrete requests...I did not ask for it to happen immediately," Balje said over the phone.

Balje also said that she has decided to remain in the opposition, stating that her vote is not a "decisive vote" for the position of speaker of parliament and the formation of the Government.

She said she "understood that Vetëvendosje has reached 63 votes."

"I don't believe it's a decisive vote, I understood that they have 63 votes. Second, each of us is trying to find the spirit for cooperation. I am the leader of a very small party. In the Bosniak community, I was third in votes. I have only gone to a meeting with the prime minister once, in the second meeting I was together with Emilja Rexhepi. There I received the proposal for minister, I have not had a meeting with the prime minister since."

Balje said that her request was the beginning of the process for a Bosniak municipality in Kosovo, not the position of minister in the Government.

"I know that the formation of the municipality is a process that can take another 4-5 years. As far as I understand from the Prime Minister, he is very much against it. Voting in the Assembly is the last stage, even if it doesn't go well, that's okay. Even if the MPs don't vote, I can't pressure them for votes. I have been in the opposition for four years, I have not had good cooperation with Vetëvendosje, in these four years I have had a deputy minister and two advisors. In other words, for these positions I have voted for everything," said Balje.

Today, 19.04.2025, the constitutive session of the ninth legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo was temporarily suspended, after the vote for the Speaker of the Assembly failed to produce a result for the second time.

Proposed by the Vetëvendosje Movement, Albulena Haxhiu, failed to secure the necessary votes to take over the leadership of the legislature.

In the first vote, 57 deputies voted in favor, 20 against, while 3 deputies abstained.

In the second vote, Haxhiu received 57 votes in favor, 19 against and 3 abstentions.

The chairman of the session, Avni Dehari, announced the adjournment of the session and announced that it will resume in 48 hours, on Monday, 21.04.2025, at 15:00. /Kallxo.com/