Albanian Parties in Presevo and Bujanovac Unite on One List

Eight Albanian political parties from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja signed an agreement in Pristina on September 29, 2026, on a joint list for Serbia’s parliamentary election, scheduled for October 25. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced the deal, and his post says it was reached in the prime minister’s cabinet. Serbian media picked it up on September 30.

The agreement was signed by Saip Kamberi (PDD), Visar Memeti (APN), Nagip Arifi (DP), Agim Sabedini (DPA), Sciprim Musliu (LPD), Sami Salihu (LR), Armend Aliu (AL) and Naser Aziri (UDSH). The name of the list differs between the available sources: Bujanovacke reports that it is called “United Valley” (Lugina e Bashkuar), while Kurti’s post, as relayed by Jugpress, refers to an “Albanian Coalition.”

How will candidates be ranked on the joint list?

According to the document reviewed by Bujanovacke, Article 3 sets the order. The weight of each party is measured by the number of councillors it won in the most recent local elections in Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja. The strongest party proposes the first candidate, and the following places go in sequence, with the legal rules on gender representation respected.

For past election cycles the figure is simple: Kamberi was the only Albanian member of the Serbian parliament in the previous term.

What the parties commit to

The signatories pledged not to take any political step under the agreement without the prior consent of all the parties that signed it. That covers the candidate list, the joint platform and positions, and negotiations, as well as post-election deals and parliamentary support. Coordination runs through the parties’ authorized representatives, with consultations with the Kosovo prime minister or a representative he designates.

A Coordination Group will be formed to share responsibilities and organize technical work, from collecting signatures to the joint campaign and the protection of votes. Financing, annexes and other practical details are left for later written agreements.

The cooperation is not limited to October 25. The parties pledged to avoid public attacks on one another, and the agreement provides for cooperation to continue throughout the parliamentary term. Elected deputies are to carry out the joint platform, report regularly to the signatory parties and keep direct contact with citizens in the three municipalities. The platform draws, among other things, on the seven-point plan from 2013, and its goals include deactivating address registrations, protecting voting rights, Albanian representation in institutions, recognition of diplomas, education, official use of the Albanian language and economic development.

What Kurti said

Kurti thanked the party leaders in his post. He wrote:

I thank the presidents of the political entities […] for their engagement and their readiness to rise above their differences, find a partner in one another and share responsibility toward the citizens.

The omitted part of the quote is a list of the names of the eight leaders. Kurti then said that uniting on one list does not solve the problem by itself, and added:

An asymmetry of rights is also an injustice. Serbs in Kosovo are guaranteed 10 of the 120 seats in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, so by the same approach the Albanians of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja should have at least 5 guaranteed seats in the Serbian Parliament, which has 250 seats.

This is a political demand by the Kosovo prime minister, not part of Serbia’s electoral system as it stands. In his post Kurti also thanked Enkel Rexhepi, president of the National Council of Albanians, Ardita Sinani, president of the Presevo municipality, and Arber Pajaziti, president of the Bujanovac municipality, as well as representatives from Medvedja and Novi Pazar.

The agreement takes effect on signing. Besides copies for the signatories, one copy stays in the office of the Kosovo prime minister.