Vjosa Osmani

Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu (born 17 May 1982)[2] is a Kosovan jurist who is the Chairwoman of the Assembly of Kosovo and acting President of Kosovo. She is a professor at the University of Pristina, RIT Kosovo; she has also taught as a visiting professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Osmani was the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) party's candidate for prime minister in the 2019 Kosovan parliamentary election.[3][4] In the 2021 Kosovan presidential election she will be the joint candidate for president of the Vetëvendosje party and her initiative.[5]

Vjosa Osmani
President of Kosovo
Acting
Assumed office 5 November 2020
Prime Minister	Avdullah Hoti
Preceded by	Hashim Thaçi
6th Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 February 2020
President	Hashim Thaçi
Preceded by	Glauk Konjufca
Personal details
Born	Vjosa Osmani 17 May 1982 Kosovska Mitrovica, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Mitrovica, Kosovo)
Political party	Independent (Guxo List)
Other political affiliations	Democratic League of Kosovo (until 2020)[1]
Spouse(s)	Prindon Sadriu
Children	2
Education	University of Pristina University of Pittsburgh
Profession	Law professor
Signature

Biography

Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu was born in 1982 in Mitrovica. She finished elementary and high school with success in her hometown. She completed her basic studies at the law school of University of Pristina (Albanian: Universiteti i Prishtinës), and her masters and doctoral studies at the University of Pittsburgh. As a university professor, she teaches courses in the field of International Law in Kosovo, while in America she teaches the subject "State Building and Law: The Kosovo Experience".

Osmani is currently chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Diaspora and Strategic Investments. She has previously served as Chair of the Committee on European Integration and Vice Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Reforms in Kosovo. Osmani is married and is the mother of twin daughters. In addition to her mother tongue, she also speaks English, Turkish, Spanish and Serbian.[3]

Activity

Osmani's political career began in her teens, when she was an LDK activist. On 27 August 2009, she was elected Chief of Staff of the then President of the Republic of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu. Osmani has been a member of the Kosovo Assembly from the LDK for three terms, and in the last two terms, she was the most voted woman in Kosovo.

She is known for her contribution to Kosovo's independence, precisely her contribution to the International Court of Justice, where she was at that time part of the Kosovan party in defending the legality of Kosovo's independence, a case that Kosovo had won against Serbia. In this process, Osmani served as Kosovo's representative.[3]

Snap election

Vjosa Osmani was viewed as possible Prime Minister of Kosovo by her party LDK in the 2019 snap parliamentary election. While campaigning for the election, Osmani said that she believes that Kosovan people are ready for a female Prime Minister, and that she is able to fight corruption, as well as promising free market reforms for Kosovo.[6][7]

Awards

Osmani completed her bachelor's degree in Kosovo with a scholarship, which she received from the Ministry of Education, evaluating her as the best student of the Kosovo Law School. At the same time, she was also selected as one of the top five students of the country by all faculties. In 2004, she was awarded a scholarship to complete her master's degree at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2005 she was twice awarded the Excellence For The Future Award by the University of Pittsburgh. In 2009, thanks to the success shown, she had again won a full scholarship to complete her doctoral studies at the same university, where she again focused on the field of law.

She was also honored with the Sheth International Achievement Award by the University of Pittsburgh for her contribution to the human rights field.[3]

Countries visited

List of official visits abroad made by Vjosa Osmani as Acting President:

#	Country	Year	Cities visited	Type of visit
1	Albania	17 December 2020	Tirana	Official visit[8]
2	European Union	12 January 2021	Brussels	Official visit[9]
3	Belgium	13 January 2021	Brussels	Official visit[10]

Works

Osmani has published books, articles, monographs and papers in the field of International and Commercial Law, both in Albanian and English.

• The Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Shaping the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kosovo; University of Pittsburgh, Law Review, except publication: FALL, 2014;

• Arbitration - A Guide for Judges and Practitioners; USAID, 2008;

• Balkans - Foreign Affairs, Politics and Socio-Cultures (co-author of section of Kosovo`s Foreign Policy); EPOKA University Publications, Tirana, October 2011; ISBN 978-9928-4044-4-2;

• Kosovo`s foreign policy: Five Years On (in "Political Thought: Foreign Policy and Aspects of International Diplomacy", co-author; 2011, No 43, September 2013; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung);

• Bar Exam Manual - Section on Commercial Law; co-author; UNDP and Kosovo Chamber of Advocates, 2008;

• Representing Kosovo before the International Court of Justice; Center for International Legal Education (CILE Notes), September 2010, University of Pittsburgh School of Law;

• Business Law - Authorized Lectures; Riinvest University, Kosovo, 2008;

• The Big Impact of a Small Program on the Development of Rule of Law in Kosovo (in "The Export of Legal Education: Promoting and Impacting Transition Countries); Ashgate, 2009;

• Monograph: "Street Children in Kosovo"; Finnish Human Rights Program in Kosovo in Three Languages (English, Albanian, Serbian), 2004

References

1. "A po largohet Vjosa Osmani nga LDK-ja? Kjo është deklarata e saj" [Is Vjosa Osmani leaving the LDK? This is her statement]. Kanal10 (in Albanian). 7 September 2020.
2. "LDK – Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës".
3. "Vjosa Osmani, femra e parë si kandidate për kryeministre, e diplomuar në SHBA". 25 August 2019.
4. "Vjosa Osmani, the woman taking on Kosovo's 'nasty' politics to be PM". www.msn.com.
5. "Kurti kandidat i VV-së për kryeministër, Osmani për presidente". Koha Ditore (in Albanian). 14 January 2021.
6. "Kosovo to Elect New Parliament Amid Anger Over Graft, Unemployment". Voice of America. Reuters. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
7. Zivanovic, Maja; Isufi, Perparim (7 October 2019). "Opposition Vetevendosje Party Triumphs in Kosovo Election". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
8. Osmani, President of the Republic of Kosovo - Vjosa. "Fjalimi i u.d. Presidentes Vjosa Osmani në Kuvendin e Shqipërisë". Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo - Vjosa Osmani. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
9. Osmani, President of the Republic of Kosovo - Vjosa. "U.d. Presidentja Osmani u takua me deputetët e Parlamentit Evropian që janë në Grupin e Miqësisë së Kosovës". Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo - Vjosa Osmani. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
10. Osmani, President of the Republic of Kosovo - Vjosa. "U.d. Presidentja Osmani mirëpritet në Parlamentin e Belgjikës nga Presidentja e Senatit, Stephanie D'Hose dhe Kryetarja e Dhomës së Përfaqësuesve, Éliane Tillieux". Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo - Vjosa Osmani. Retrieved 13 January 2021.