Political Leaders: Kosovo

Leaders of Kosovo

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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website. See also the page on the late State (1992-2006) of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro, including the Republic of Serbia, from which Kosovo is a subordinated province in principle (but not in practice). The leadership in Kosovo from 1945 to 1990, under the rule of the late Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (1945-1992), is provided by Rulers.

Albanian parties and organizations: AAK: Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (coalition); AKR: New Kosovo Alliance; AQK: Alliance of Citizens of Kosovo; LKCK: National Movement for Liberation of Kosovo; LDK: Democratic League of Kosovo; LDSh: Albanian Democratic Movement; LPK: People's Movement of Kosovo; PBD: Democratic Union Party; PD: Justice Party: PDK: Democratic Party of Kosovo (formerly PPDK, Party for the Democratic Progress of Kosovo); PLK: Liberal Party of Kosovo; PNDSh: Albanian National Democratic Party; PPK: Parliamentary Party of Kosovo; PQLK: Liberal Center Party of Kosovo (disbanded); PRK: Republican Party of Kosovo; PSDK: Social Democratic Party of Kosovo; PShDK: Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo; UCK: Kosovo Liberation Army (disbanded); UNIKOMB: Albanian Unification Party; UShDK: Albanian Union of Christian Democrats

Acknowledgements: sources for the institutional leadership: Rulers, by Ben Schemmel, and World Statesmen, by Ben Cahoon; the party leaderships are a courtesy of Dragan Markovic

Republic of Kosovo

Self-proclaimed 7 Sep 1990; independence declared unilaterally 19 Oct 1991
and again 17 Feb 2008, winning partial international recognition

Presidents
Ibrahim Rugova        24 May 1992 -  1 Feb 2000 (+2006) LDK
Ibrahim Rugova         4 Mar 2002 - 21 Jan 2006 (+)     LDK
Nexhat Daci           21 Jan 2006 - 10 Feb 2006         LDK (acting)
Fatmir Sejdiu         10 Feb 2006 - 27 Sep 2010         LDK
Jakup Krasniqi        27 Sep 2010 - 22 Feb 2011         PDK (acting)
Behgjet Pacolli       22 Feb 2011 - 30 Mar 2011         AKR
Jakup Krasniqi        30 Mar 2011 -  7 Apr 2011         PDK (acting)
Atifete Jahjaga        7 Apr 2011 -                     n/p
                              
Prime ministers
Jusuf Zejnullahu      15 Jul 1990 -  5 Oct 1991
Bujar Bukoshi          5 Oct 1991 -  1 Feb 2000         LDK
Bajram Rexhepi         4 Mar 2002 -  3 Dec 2004         PDK 
Ramush Haradinaj       3 Dec 2004 -  8 Mar 2005         AAK/AQK
Adem Salihaj           8 Mar 2005 - 23 Mar 2005         LDK (acting)
Bajram Kosumi         23 Mar 2005 - 10 Mar 2006         AAK/PPK
Agim Çeku             10 Mar 2006 -  9 Jan 2008         n/p
Hashim Thaçi           9 Jan 2008 -                     PDK

Prime minister of the "Provisional Government" (alternative)
Hashim Thaçi           2 Apr 1999 -  1 Feb 2000         UCK/PPDK

Speakers of the Parliament
Nexhat Daci           10 Dec 2001 - 10 Mar 2006         LDK
Kole Berisha          10 Mar 2006 -  9 Jan 2008         LDK
Jakup Krasniqi         9 Jan 2008 -                     PDK

Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Skënder Hyseni        15 Jun 2008 - 18 Oct 2010         LDK
Vlora Çitaku          18 Oct 2010 - 22 Feb 2011         PDK
Enver Hoxhaj          22 Feb 2011 -                     PDK

Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija


Provincial Coordinator
Momcilo Trajkovic      11 Apr 1990 -        1991  

Prefects of Kosovo district
Milos Simovic                 1992 -        1994  
Aleksa Jokic                  1994 -        1996  
Milos Nesovic                 1996 -        1998  
Veljko Odalovic               1998 -        1999
Andreja Milosavljevic         1999 -        2000
Veljko Odalovic               2000 -        2001
Jovica Filipovic       12 Apr 2001 -  6 Dic 2001
Dragan Velic            6 Dic 2001 - 28 Sep 2004       
Srdjan Vasic           28 Sep 2004 -  8 Dec 2007 
Goran Arsic             8 Dec 2007 -

Chairman of the Temporary Executive Council (PIV)
Zoran Andjelkovic      28 Sep 1998 -  7 Mar 2002

Serbian National Council (SNV) of Kosovo and Metohija (self-proclaimed, ethnic Serb)

President of the Council
Bishop Artemije        24 Oct 1999 -  3 Mar 2004   
  
Presidents of the Executive Committee
Momcilo Trajkovic      24 Oct 1999 - 18 Jul 2000     
Dusan Ristic           18 Jul 2000 - 20 Jan 2002 (+)

International occupation and administration (de facto protectorate)

Military Commanders of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR)
Michael Jackson        12 Jun 1999 -  8 Oct 1999          (UK)    
Klaus Reinhardt         8 Oct 1999 - 18 Apr 2000          (Germany) 
Juan Ortuño Such       18 Apr 2000 - 16 Oct 2000          (Spain, Eurocorps)            
Carlo Cabigiosu        16 Oct 2000 -  6 Apr 2001          (Italy) 
Thorstein Skiaker       6 Apr 2001 -  3 Oct 2001          (Norway)
Marcel M. Valentin      3 Oct 2001 -  4 Oct 2002          (France)
Fabio Mini              4 Oct 2002 -  3 Oct 2003          (Italy)
Holger Kammerhoff       3 Oct 2003 -  1 Sep 2004          (Germany)
Yves de Kermabon        1 Sep 2004 -  1 Sep 2005          (France)  
Giuseppe Valotto        1 Sep 2005 -  1 Sep 2006          (Italy)
Roland Kather           1 Sep 2006 - 31 Aug 2007          (Germany)
Xavier Bout de Marnhac 31 Aug 2007 - 29 Aug 2008          (France)
Giuseppe Emilio Gay    29 Aug 2008 -  8 Sep 2009          (Italy)
Markus Bentler          8 Sep 2009 -  1 Sep 2010          (Germany)
Erhard Bühler           1 Sep 2010 -                      (Germany)

Heads of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
Sérgio Vieira de Mello 13 Jun 1999 - 15 Jul 1999 (+2003)a (Brazil)
Bernard Kouchner       15 Jul 1999 - 15 Jan 2001          (France)
Hans Hækkerup          15 Jan 2001 - 31 Dec 2001          (Denmark)    
Charles H. Brayshaw     1 Jan 2002 - 14 Feb 2002          (United States, acting)
Michael Steiner        14 Feb 2002 -  8 Jul 2003          (Germany)        
Charles H. Brayshaw     8 Jul 2003 - 25 Aug 2003          (United States, acting)
Harri Holkeri          25 Aug 2003 - 25 May 2004          (Finland)
Charles H. Brayshaw    25 May 2004 - 16 Aug 2004          (United States, acting)
Søren Jessen-Petersen  16 Aug 2004 -  1 Sep 2006          (Denmark)
Joachim Rücker          1 Sep 2006 - 20 Jun 2008          (Germany)  
Lamberto Zannier       20 Jun 2008 -  1 Jul 2011          (Italy)   
Robert E. Sorenson      1 Jul 2011 -                      (United States, acting)

Chairmen of the Interim Administrative Council (IAC) (*)
Bernard Kouchner        1 Feb 2000 - 15 Jan 2001          (France)
Hans Hækkerup          15 Jan 2001 - 31 Dec 2001          (Denmark)    
Charles H. Brayshaw     1 Jan 2002 - 14 Feb 2002          (United States, acting)
Michael Steiner        14 Feb 2002 -  8 Jul 2003          (Germany)       
Charles H. Brayshaw     8 Jul 2003 - 25 Aug 2003          (United States, acting)
Harri Holkeri          25 Aug 2003 - 25 May 2004          (Finland)
Charles H. Brayshaw    25 May 2004 - 16 Aug 2004          (United States, acting)
Søren Jessen-Petersen  16 Aug 2004 -  1 Sep 2006          (Denmark)
Joachim Rücker          1 Sep 2006 - 20 Jun 2008          (Germany) 
Lamberto Zannier       20 Jun 2008 -                      (Italy)      

Head of EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX Kosovo)
Yves de Kermabon       16 Feb 2008 - 15 Oct 2010          (France)
Xavier Bout de Marnhac 15 Oct 2010 -                      (France)

(*) The IAC, the executive board of the Joint Interim Administrative Structure (JIAS) agreed 15 Dec 1999, started its effective establishment 1 Feb 2000 as the single ruling body in Kosovo with recognition of all parallel and unofficial Albanian institutions, which were temporally desactivated. On 4 Mar 2002 the elected Albanian institutions, Presidency, Government and Parliament, were installed.

Leadership of main Albanian parties and organizations


 Chairmen of LDK
Ibrahim Rugova    1989-2005 (+2006) 
Fatmir Sejdiu     2006-             

 --> LDK was founded 23 Dec 1989

 Political leaders of UCK 
Adem Demaçi       1998-1999      
Hashim Thaçi      1999         

 Military leaders of UCK 
Sylejman Selimi   1999
Agim Çeku         1999          

 --> UCK officially disbanded upon agreements with KFOR and UNMIK 20 Sep 1999

 Chairman of PPDK, PDK
Hashim Thaçi      1999-         

 --> PPDK, made from the political wing of UCK, was founded 14 Oct 1999 and renamed to PDK 21 May 2000

 Chairman of AAK
Ramush Haradinaj  2000-         

 --> AAK is a coalition made by AQK, PPK and UShDK; to 2001 also included LKCK and LPK, and to 2002 UNIKOMB

Chairman of AQK
Ramush Haradinaj  2000-        

Chairmen of PPK
Bajram Kosumi     1993-1996    
Adem Demaçi       1996-1998    
Bajram Kosumi     1998-         

Chairman of LKCK
                  1993-  ?
Sabit Gashi        ?  -

 Chairman of PShDK
Lazer Krasniqi    1990-1993
Mark Krasniqi     1993-        

Chairman of PD
Sylejman Çerkezi   ?  -       

Chairman of LPK
Emrush Xhemajli    ?  - 

Chairman of PLK
Gjergj Dedaj      1991-         

Chairman of PQLK
Naim Maloku       2000-2001

 --> PQLQ ceased to exist in 2001

Chairwoman of PSDK
Kaqusha Jashari   1991-2008
Agim Ceku         2008-

Chairman of PRK
Feti Grapci        ?  -

Chairman of PNDSh
Rexhep Abdullahu   ?  -

Chairman of LDSh
Rexhep Qosja      1998-       

Chairman of PBD
Bardyl Mahmuti    1999-

--> PBD was founded 4 Jul 1999

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