Isa Mustafa

Isa Mustafa ([iˈsa musˈtafa] (listen); born 15 May 1951) is a Kosovar politician who is the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Mustafa was Mayor of Pristina from December 2007 to December 2013 and served as Prime Minister of Kosovo[lower-alpha 1] between December 2014 and September 2017.

Isa Mustafa
Leader of the Democratic League
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 November 2010
Preceded by	Fatmir Sejdiu
2nd Prime Minister of Kosovo
In office 9 December 2014 – 9 September 2017
President	Atifete Jahjaga Hashim Thaçi
Preceded by	Hashim Thaçi
Succeeded by	Ramush Haradinaj
Mayor of Pristina
In office 14 December 2007 – 26 December 2013
Preceded by	Ismet Beqiri
Succeeded by	Shpend Ahmeti
Minister of Economy and Finance
In office 1991–1999
Prime Minister	Bujar Bukoshi
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	(1951-05-15) 15 May 1951 Pristina, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia (now Kosovo)
Political party	Democratic League
Spouse(s)	Qevsere Mustafa
Children	3
Alma mater	University of Pristina
Signature

Early life

Mustafa was born in the village of Prapashtica, in the Gollak Highlands of the District of Pristina, Kosovo on 15 May 1951, to Kosovo Albanian parents.[1] He finished Primary and High School in Pristina, and attended the University of Pristina in the Faculty of Economics, where he obtained a master's degree and a PhD.[1] In 1974, he began his professional work, as an examiner at the University of Pristina.[1]

Political career

Isa Mustafa began his political career in the early 1980s, when he became the head of the municipal government of Pristina, from 1984 to 1988.[1] In the 1990s, as Yugoslavia started to break up, Mustafa became the Minister of Economy and Finances of the government of the Republic of Kosova, in exile, headed by Bujar Bukoshi.[1] During this time, an arrest warrant for Mustafa was issued within Yugoslavia – which did not become international, making it possible for him to work in Western Europe. Mustafa did not apply for any political asylum, and was able to return to Kosovo anytime if needed.[1]

After the Kosovo War ended on 1999, he returned home, but returned to politics only in 2006 as a High Political Advisor of the then President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu.

In December 2007, he became the mayor of Pristina in local elections, beating the vice president of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and one of the ex-commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK), Fatmir Limaj.[2] He won a second term as Mayor of Pristina in November 2009.[2]

On 7 November 2010, he became the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, beating Fatmir Sejdiu in the party leadership election by 235 votes to 124.[3]

On 1 December 2013, he lost re-election to the position of Mayor of Pristina, in what was seen as a major upset, to upcoming politician Shpend Ahmeti. The upset was especially dramatic seeing as it happened in what had been historically known as a Democratic League of Kosovo stronghold.

On 8 December 2014, he became the Prime Minister of Kosovo in a coalition with the Democratic Party of Kosovo. With a PhD in Economics, he claimed his government would be focused on the economic development of the country.

While addressing the Assembly of Kosovo on 22 September 2015 regarding an agreement with Serbia on autonomy for Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority and another agreement defining the border between Kosovo and Montenegro, Mustafa was pelted with eggs by opposition Assembly lawmakers. He later continued his address while being shielded with an umbrella by his bodyguards.[4]

On 10 May 2017, Mustafa lost a vote of no-confidence and decided not to stand in the next election. Instead he nominated Avdullah Hoti as the Democratic League candidate for prime minister. Mustafa stayed on as Prime Minister until his successor Ramush Haradinaj was elected by parliament in September 2017 following a parliamentary election.

On 3 August 2019, Isa Mustafa was re-elected as leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo for the third time.

On July 10, 2020, Mustafa announced on his Facebook page that he was diagnosed with COVID-19.[5] On August 1, 2020, he revealed on his Facebook page that he had fully recovered from the disease.

Government

Position	Portfolio	Name	Party
Prime Minister	General Affairs	Isa Mustafa	LDK
First Deputy Prime Minister	No Portfolio	Hajredin Kuçi	PDK
Deputy Prime Minister	No Portfolio	Kujtim Shala Ramiz Kelmendi	LDK
Minister	Foreign Affairs	Hashim Thaçi Enver Hoxhaj	PDK
Minister	Culture, Youth and Sports	Kujtim Shala Vlora Dumoshi	LDK
Deputy Prime Minister	No Portfolio	Branimir Stojanović	Srpska
Minister	Justice	Hajredin Kuçi Dhurata Hoxha	PDK
Minister	Administration and Local Self-government	Ljubomir Marić	Srpska
Minister	Communities and Returns	Dalibor Jevtić	Srpska
Minister	Public Administration	Mahir Yağcılar	KDTP
Minister	Education, Science and Technology	Arsim Bajrami	PDK
Minister	Finances	Avdullah Hoti Agim Krasniqi	LDK
Minister	Diaspora	Valon Murati	LB
Minister	Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development	Memli Krasniqi	PDK
Minister	European Integration	Mimoza Ahmetaj	PDK
Minister	Economic Development	Blerand Stavileci	PDK
Minister	Environment and Spatial Planning	Ferid Agani	PD
Minister	Internal Affairs	Skënder Hyseni	LDK
Minister	Infrastructure	Hanefi Muharremi	LDK
Minister	Trade and Industry	Hikmete Bajrami	LDK
Minister	Health	Imet Rrahmani	LDK
Minister	Labour and Social Welfare	Safet Kamberi	LDK
Minister	Security Force	Haki Demolli	LDK
Minister	No Portfolio	Edita Tahiri	ADK
Minister	No Portfolio	Rasim Demiri	Vakat

Personal life

Mustafa is married to Qevsere Mustafa and has three children, two sons and a daughter.[6]

Notes and references

Notes:

a.

^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognized as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 112 UN member states recognized Kosovo at some point, of which 15 later withdrew their recognition.

References:

1. "Biografia" (in Albanian). isamustafa.info. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
2. "Local Election in Kosovo: Independence accomplished - New goals ahead for Kosovo". World Security Network. 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
3. "Mustafa: Nuk i kam blerë votat" (in Albanian). Gazeta Express. 7 November 2010. Archived from the original on 16 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
4. "Lawmakers Throw Eggs At Kosovo's Prime Minister". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
5. https://www.facebook.com/IsaMustafaKS/. Retrieved July 10, 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
6. "Prime Minister's Biography – Isa Mustafa". Kosovo Prime Minister's Office.

External links

• Official website
• website of the Prime Minister's Office

Political offices
New office	Minister of Economy and Finances 1991–1999	Position abolished
Preceded by Ismet Beqiri	Mayor of Pristina 2007–2013	Succeeded by Shpend Ahmeti
Preceded by Hashim Thaçi	Prime Minister of Kosovo 2014–2017	Succeeded by Ramush Haradinaj
Party political offices
Preceded by Fatmir Sejdiu	Leader of the Democratic League 2010–present	Incumbent