Gani Dreshaj
Gani Dreshaj (born 14 August 1965) is a politician in Kosovo. He served in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo from 2017 to 2019 and was a deputy minister in the Republic of Kosovo government from 2020 to 2021. Dreshaj is a member of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).
Early life and career[edit]
Dreshaj was born to a Kosovo Albanian family in the village of Vrella in Istog, in what was then the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija in the Socialist Republic of Serbia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[1] He is an entrepreneur and has owned a company that produces Aquintell mineral water.[2][3]
Politician[edit]
Early years (2013–17)[edit]
Dreshaj began his political career at the municipal level in Istog, appearing in the tenth place on a combined electoral list of the AAK and the Democratic League of Dardania (LDD) in the 2013 Kosovan local elections. Assembly elections in Kosovo are held under open list proportional representation; Dreshaj finished second among the list's candidates and was elected when the AAK–LDD alliance won six seats.[4][5]
He was included on the AAK's list in the 2014 Kosovan parliamentary election, finished nineteenth, and was not elected when the list won eleven mandates.[6]
Parliamentarian (2017–19)[edit]
The AAK contested the 2017 parliamentary election in an alliance with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK). Dreshaj received the eightieth position on the combined list and finished in thirty-sixth place among its candidates. The alliance won thirty-nine seats.[7] Dreshaj was not immediately elected due to a requirement for one-third female representation. The PDK and AAK formed a coalition government after the election, and he received a mandate in September 2017 to replace Rrustem Berisha, who had been appointed as a cabinet minister.[8] In the assembly, he was a government supporter and a member of the committee for economic development, infrastructure, trade, industry, and regional development.[9]
He ran for mayor of Istog in the 2017 Kosovan local elections and was initially declared the winner over Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) incumbent Haki Rugova in the second round of voting. Rugova had held a lead until the municipality's postal votes went overwhelmingly in Dreshaj's favour. Rugova contended that the postal votes were manipulated by organized crime and challenged the result.[10] A re-vote was ordered for December 2017, and Rugova was narrowly re-elected at the end of a contentious ballot count.[11][12]
Dreshaj called for an increase in Kosovo's minimum wage during his parliamentary term, citing the need to prevent youth from leaving the territory.[13]
During an assembly debate on 18 May 2018, Dreshaj said "I'm going to ruin his face" in regards to LDK delegate Arben Geshi. After his parliamentary term ended, he was found guilty of criminal intimidation for this statement and issued a fine.[14] Dreshaj was in Germany at the time of the verdict; he said that he did not accept it and would appeal after returning to Kosovo.[15]
He finished twelfth among the AAK's candidates in the 2019 parliamentary election. The list won thirteen seats, and he was once again not elected due to the requirement for one-third female representation.[16] This time, he did not receive a mandate before the dissolution of parliament in 2021.
Council of Europe (2018–20)[edit]
The Assembly of Kosovo had observer status at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) during Dreshaj's assembly term. He became a substitute member of Kosovo's delegation to the PACE on 22 January 2018 and served until 26 January 2020.[17]
Deputy minister (2020–21)[edit]
The LDK and AAK formed a coalition government in June 2020, and Dreshaj was appointed as deputy minister of foreign affairs. After his appointment, he accused previous administrations of appointing unqualified delegates to various embassies of the Republic of Kosovo around the world.[18] The LDK–AAK coalition soon lost its majority in the assembly, and a new election was called for February 2021. Dreshaj intended to be a candidate but ultimately withdrew from the contest.[19] Vetëvendosje (VV) won the election by a landslide, and Dreshaj's term as deputy minister ended when the new administration was formed.
Electoral record[edit]
Local (Istog)[edit]
| Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| Haki Rugova (incumbent) | Democratic League of Kosovo | 8,872 | 45.36 | 10,033 | 50.03 | |
| Gani Dreshaj | Alliance for the Future of Kosovo | 6,970 | 35.63 | 10,019 | 49.97 | |
| Beqir Sadikaj | Democratic Party of Kosovo | 1,644 | 8.40 | |||
| Agron Avdijaj | Levizja Vetëvendosje! | 1,591 | 8.13 | |||
| Arif Elshani | Civic Initiative "Independent Initiative of Istog" | 484 | 2.47 | |||
| Total | 19,561 | 100.00 | 20,052 | 100.00 | ||
| Source: [20][21] | ||||||
References[edit]
- ^ Periudha e gjashtë Legjislative (03.08.2017 - 22.08.2019) – Gani Dreshaj, Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Një biznesmen dhe një ish-deputet në vendin e Daut Haradinajt dhe Zafir Berishës", Telegrafi, 16 August 2017, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Dreshaj e ulë çmimin e ujit në përkrahje të prodhimeve vendore", Telegrafi, 10 October 2023.
- ^ Zgjedhjet për Kuvende Komunale 2013 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat – Rezultatet e të gjithë kandidatëve sipas komunave, Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 59.
- ^ Zgjedhjet për Kuvende Komunale 2013 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat – Rezultatet e subjekteve sipas vendvotimeve, Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, pp. 8-9.
- ^ ZGJEDHJET E PARAKOHSHME PËR KUVENDIN E REPUBLIKËS SË KOSOVËS 2014 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Rezultatet e të gjithë kandidatëve), Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 20, accessed 14 January 2022. He appeared in the fifty-second position on the list.
- ^ ZGJEDHJET E PARAKOHSHME PËR KUVENDIN E REPUBLIKËS SË KOSOVËS 2017 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Rezultatet e kandidatëve sipas subjekteve të renditur sipas numrit të votave), Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 2.
- ^ "Këta janë deputetët që do të zëvendësojnë ministrat", Telegrafi, 13 September 2017, accessed 25 September 2023.
- ^ Periudha e gjashtë Legjislative (03.08.2017 - 22.08.2019) – Gani Dreshaj, Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Rugova kërkon anulimin e të gjitha votave me postë", Telegrafi, 25 November 2017, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Dreshaj konsideron se i është 'vjedhur fitorja', kërkon rinumërim të votave në Istog"], Telegrafi, 18 December 2017, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Gjykata Kushtetuese hedh poshtë ankesën e Dreshajt, Haki Rugova mbetet kryetar i Istogut", Telegrafi, 4 February 2019, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Deputeti i AAK-së, Gani Dreshaj: Po largohet rinia, të bëhet paga minimale 350 euro", Telegrafi, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Xhavit Haliti dhe Gani Dreshaj dënohen për sulmin ndaj Arben Gashit", Telegrafi, October 2019, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Dreshaj nuk e pranon dënimin prej 1250 eurosh – sapo të kthehem nga Gjermania do të ankohem", Telegrafi, 25 October 2019, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ ZGJEDHJET E PARAKOHSHME PËR KUVENDIN E REPUBLIKËS SË KOSOVËS 2019 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Rezultatet e të gjithë kandidatëve (renditja si në fletëvotim)), Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 14, accessed 2 February 2022. He was given the fortieth position on the list.
- ^ Mr Gani DRESHAJ (Assembly of Kosovo*), Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe], accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Dreshaj: Diplomacinë e ka marrë 'pusi' në kohën kur drejtohej nga Hyseni, Hoxhaj e Pacolli", Telegrafi, 26 November 2020, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Gani Dreshaj tërhiqet nga kandidimi për deputet", Telegrafi, 22 January 2021, accessed 10 October 2023.
- ^ ZGJEDHJET PËR KRYETARË TË KOMUNAVE 2017 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Raundi i parë) – Rezultatet e kandidatëve për Kryetar Komune, Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 7, accessed 12 January 2022.
- ^ ZGJEDHJET PËR KRYETARË TË KOMUNAVE 2017 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Raundi i dytë) – Rezultatet e kandidatëve për Kryetar Komune, Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 5, accessed 12 January 2022.