Alliance for the Future of Kosovo

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (Albanian: "Aleanca për Ardhmërinë e Kosovës", AAK) is a political party in the Republic of Kosovo. It was formed just seven years ago, on 29th April 2001, in Kosovo.

Leadership

The current president of the party is Ramush Haradinaj. In December 2004 the parliament elected him as Prime Minister of Kosovo and he formed a coalition government with the largest party, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). He resigned as Prime Minister in March 2005 after learning that he had been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, for 37 counts of War Crimes. He received a full acquittal from the Tribunal on 3rd April 2008. He returned to Kosovo and immediately resumed his duties as president of the party.

AAK currently has three deputy presidents: Ahmet Isufi, Naim Maloku and Bajram Kosumi.

The current Secretary General is Jonuz Salihaj and the Secretary of Organisation is Ibrahim Selmanaj.

In Parliament

At the last legislative elections, 17th November 2007, the alliance won 9.6 % of the popular vote and 10 out of 120 seats in the Assembly of Kosovo, which made it the fifth largest political force. This was a gain on the previous two legislative elections in 2001 and 2004 in which AAK won 7.8% and 8.4% of the popular vote, respectively.

AAK's ten current members of parliament are: Ardian Gjini, who is the leader of the parliamentary caucus, Ahmet Isufi, Bajram Kosumi, Gjylnaze Syla, Ibrahim Selmanaj, Rasim Selmanaj, Donika Kadaj, Ethem Ceku, Zylfije Hundozi and Naim Maloku. Mr. Malokualso serves as AAK's member of the Assembly Presidency.

Local Elections

The most recent municipal elections were also held on 17th November 2007. AAK gained control of 3 municipalities in western Kosovo: Peja, Gjakova and Decan.

Political Position

AAK is located slightly to the right on the political spectrum.

The party flag is red, black and white. White represents peace; red and black are the national colours of the 90% Albanian majority of Kosovo.

The choice of the party's name, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo/AAK is explained in Ramush Haradinaj's second book. Whereas previous Kosovo party acronyms began with consonants, a vowel was chosed for AAK because it seems less harsh and more open. The word "future" was chosen to mark a break with the old communist tendency to reflect backwards upon one's history. Finally, "alliance" was chosen because of its association with the NATO alliance which is much revered in Kosovo for it's intervention in Kosovo in 1999, and also because of it evokes the idea of working together to achieve one's aims.

The alliance was originally formed by several smaller parties:
*Parliamentary Party of Kosovo ("Partia Parlamentare e Kosovës")
*Civic Alliance of Kosovo ("Aleanca Qytetare e Kosovës")
*National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo ("Lëvizja Kombëtare për Çlirimin e Kosovës")
*Party of Albanian National Union ("Partia e Unitetit Kombëtar Shqiptar")
*Albanian Union of Christian Democrats ("Unioni Shqiptare DemoKristiane")

ee also

*Democratic League of Kosovo
*Democratic Party of Kosovo
*Reformist Party ORA
*New Kosovo Alliance

External links

* [http://www.aleanca.info Aleanca për Ardhmërinë e Kosovës] The official website