View source for Fadil Gashi (Kosovo politician, born 1987)

'''Fadil Gashi''' (born 8 March 1987) is a politician in [[Kosovo]] from the [[Romani people in Kosovo|Roma community]]. He has served in the [[Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo]] since 2021 as a member of the [[Romani Initiative]] (RI).
==Early life and career==
Gashi was born in [[Obiliq]], in what was then the [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo]] in the [[Socialist Republic of Serbia]], [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]]. He has a primary school education.<ref>[https://www.kuvendikosoves.org/eng/deputydetails/?deputy=449 Fadil Gashi], Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, accessed 4 January 2024.</ref>
==Politician==
Gashi appeared in the lead position on the Romani Initiative's [[electoral list]] in the [[2021 Kosovan parliamentary election]] and was elected when the list won one of the ten seats reserved for members of Kosovo's non-Serb minority communities.<ref>[https://www.kqz-ks.org/zgjedhjet-e-pergjithshme/zgjedhjet-per-kuvend-te-kosoves-2021/ ZGJEDHJET E PARAKOHSHME PËR KUVENDIN E REPUBLIKËS SË KOSOVËS 2021 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Rezultatet e të gjithë kandidatëve (renditja si në fletëvotim))], Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 13, accessed 21 January 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.kqz-ks.org/zgjedhjet-e-pergjithshme/zgjedhjet-per-kuvend-te-kosoves-2021/ ZGJEDHJET E PARAKOHSHME PËR KUVENDIN E REPUBLIKËS SË KOSOVËS 2021 – Rezultatet dhe Statistikat (Ndarja e ulëseve në Kuvend (Subjektet dhe kandidatët e zgjedhur))], Central Election Commission, Republic of Kosovo, p. 7, accessed 20 January 2022.</ref> He is a member of the committee on rights and interests of communities and returns.<ref>[https://www.kuvendikosoves.org/eng/deputydetails/?deputy=449 Fadil Gashi], Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, accessed 4 January 2024.</ref>
Several parliamentarians, including Gashi, absented themselves from the assembly during the first two failed attempts to confirm [[Vjosa Osmani]] as the Republic of Kosovo's president in April 2021. He and another minority list delegate appeared for the third vote, which provided sufficient quorum for Osmani to be elected.<ref>[https://prishtinainsight.com/vjosa-osmani-elected-kosovo-president/ "Vjosa Osmani elected Kosovo President"], ''Prishtina Insight'', 4 April 2021, accessed 4 January 2024.</ref>
Veton Berisha of Kosovo's [[Egyptian Liberal Party]], who lost his seat in the 2021 election, has accused Gashi of being an illegitimate parliamentarian, saying that the Romani Initiative's vote result was orchestrated in conjunction with the [[Serb List (Kosovo)|Serb List]]. Berisha has brought his case to the [[Constitutional Court of Kosovo]], which has not as yet rendered a decision. In July 2022, Berisha said that Gashi's voting record up to that point had been consistent with that of the Serb List.<ref>[https://www.gazetaexpress.com/berisha-ankohet-deputeti-fadil-gashi-eshte-jo-legjitim-kushtetuesja-prej-16-muajsh-spo-merr-vendim/ "Berisha complains: MP Fadil Gashi is illegitimate, the Constitutional Court has not made a decision for 16 months"], ''Gazeta Express'', 7 July 2015, accessed 4 January 2024.</ref> Gazmen Salijević, the leader of the Romani Initiative, had previously rejected any suggestion of collusion between his party and the Serb List.<ref>[https://balkaninsight.com/2021/03/08/kosovo-election-panel-cancels-manipulated-bosniak-and-roma-votes/ Perparim Isufi, "Kosovo Election Panel Cancels ‘Manipulated’ Bosniak and Roma Votes"], ''Balkan Insight'', 8 March 2021, accessed 4 January 2024.</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Kosovan Romani people]]
[[Category:People from Obiliq]]
[[Category:Members of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo]]
[[Category:Romani Initiative politicians]]