Kosovo
Bedri Hamza resigns irrevocably as PDK leader; Vlora Çitaku takes over as acting head
Less than a year after his election, Hamza steps down from leading the party but says he remains a member and voter “for as long as I live.”
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 21, 2026, 14:37 · Updated 12:23 · 2 min read
In brief
- Bedri Hamza announced at a news conference his irrevocable resignation as chairman of the PDK.
- Secretary-General Vlora Çitaku will lead the party until internal elections.
- Hamza was the PDK's candidate for prime minister in the last three elections, in which the party finished second.
Bedri Hamza, chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), resigned as party leader on Wednesday, less than a year after taking the post. He announced the decision at a news conference following a meeting of the party presidency, calling it irrevocable and well considered.
Hamza stressed that he is not leaving the party, only the post of chairman, and that he will remain a loyal PDK voter for the rest of his life. According to him, the internal election process will open space for young people and make the party stronger and more consolidated. He did not give a date for the process.
Link to the Sept. 16 verdict
In his speech, Hamza said he had expected that after Sept. 16 the party's leadership would return to former leaders of the PDK and the KLA. On that day, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague handed down the first-instance verdict against former President Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. Hamza called the ruling a great injustice to the people of Kosovo and one of the hardest days of his life.
Three races, three second places
Hamza took over the PDK on Nov. 17, 2025, after Memli Krasniqi's resignation, and was elected unopposed. He was the party's candidate for prime minister in the elections of February 2025, December 2025 and June 2026; in all three, the PDK came second behind Vetëvendosje, with about 20.95%, 20.19% and 19.44% of the vote. According to him, the frequent elections left the party no room for internal consolidation.
Until a new chairman is elected, the party will be led by Secretary-General Vlora Çitaku. Deputy chairman Shaqir Totaj thanked Hamza on Thursday, calling the resignation a noble act that paves the way for democracy in the internal race.
