Kadri Veseli

Kadri Veseli
Veseli in May 2017
Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 March 2016
Preceded by	Hashim Thaçi
Chairman of the Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 December 2014
Preceded by	Jakup Krasniqi
Personal details
Born	(1967-05-31) 31 May 1967 Brabonjić, Mitrovica, Yugoslavia (now Kosovo)
Political party	Democratic Party of Kosovo
Spouse	Violeta Veseli
Children	4
Occupation	Politician, jurist
Known for	Chairman of the Assembly of Kosovo and leader of Democratic Party of Kosovo

Kadri Veseli (born May 31, 1967 in the village Braboniq, municipality of Mitrovica) is the outgoing Chairman of Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo. Veseli was the chief of the Kosovo Intelligence Service or SHIK, a post-war underground intelligence organisation affiliated with Democratic Party of Kosovo.

Veseli began his higher education studies in 1990 at the University of Prishtina Faculty of Agriculture and the Higher Pedagogical School in Albanian Language and Literature Department. Due to political circumstances, he was forced to complete the remainder of his studies in Albania. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Kamëz, Albania, an MBA in General Management from the Sheffield University – International Faculty in Thessaloniki, Greece, and currently is preparing the PhD Thesis in the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. Veseli speaks English, German, and Serbian languages. With his wife, Violeta, he is the parents to four children.

In May 2016, Veseli became President of PDK by acclamation. He was elected with no votes against and no abstentions.

Career

Veseli was one of the young leaders of the Kosovar students’ movement during the years 1988 – 1990, which engaged in the fight for human and political rights of Kosovo Albanians, including the right for independence.

During the Kosovo War he was appointed commander of the Counter Intelligence Service (G-2) of the KLA, until the end of the war when it transformed into so called Kosovo Intelligence Service or SHIK, a post-war intelligence organisation affiliated with Democratic Party of Kosovo until 2008 when it announced its disbandment. At the end of 2012, Kadri Veseli formally joined the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), whereas in January 27, 2013 he became deputy head of the party. Veseli was voted Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo on 8 December 2014. He is slated to become head of the party after the resignation of Hashim Thaçi who vacated the post due to constitutional obligations in order to take the post of the President of the Republic of Kosovo.

Following the 2017 Kosovan parliamentary election, Veseli was re-elected as Chairman of the Assembly on 7 September 2017.

On 6 September 2018, Veseli refuses the visit of the Serbian president to Kosovo, the threat of sudden physical violence if he comes to Kosovo meets the Serbians of Kosovo. On the 9th of September, on the 2nd day of the visit of the Serbian president, he was arrested by extremist Albanians who forbade him to visit the Serbian Christian enclaves in Kosovo.