About Us

Leart Hoxha

Leart has been a Television journalist since 2005. Initially engaged in the sports editorial department at Radio Television 21, and since 2011 in the editorial news department as a journalist, then as an editor of informative editions. From February 2014 to July 2020, he was the author and moderator of the debate show CLICK. He is currently ATV's Editor-in-Chief and the CONTEXT show's author and moderator. He has been granted several international scholarships for journalism. He was a member of the Board of the Basketball Federation of Kosovo from 2012-2014. Then General Secretary of the FBK from September 2014 - February 2017. He is the co-author of FBK's application for FIBA membership. In the 2021-2024 mandate, he was elected the Chairman of the Supervisory Council of the Kosovo Olympic Committee.

Refki Morina

Refki is a German language graduate of the University of Prishtina. After a five-year experience in journalism before and after the war in Kosovo, he joined the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) as Project Coordinator. Since 2000 he has worked for various international organizations such as IFES, CARE, and the International Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC). In addition to other tasks in project management, Refki has been directly engaged in monitoring the progress and evaluation of project achievements against the set results and objectives. Since 2010 he has worked as an independent consultant and is involved in identifying priority areas and writing proposals for projects and business plans. His main areas for project development are economic growth, strengthening of civil society, and improvement of democratic principles.

Diella Rugova Begolli

Diella is a lawyer with long professional experience in economic development and the rule of law in Kosovo. She works as a legal advisor at Crimson Capital (USAID – Partnerships for Development) in construction legislation, electricity regulation, and internal and external trade. Previous work experience includes consulting for various organizations in legal drafting, contractual law, business environment development issues, and enforcement of court decisions. Diella received the title of Master of Law (LL.M.) with a focus on International Commercial Law from the University of Pittsburgh in the USA, and a Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) from the University of Prishtina. In addition to his mother tongue, Diella is fluent in English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and partially in German and Turkish.

Valmir Ismaili

Valmir is the cofounder of Democracy Plus (D+). He has completed his Master’s in Public Administration at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Business school ‘Stuart.’ Beforehand he served as Coordinator for the Secretariat at Democracy in Action, the largest committee for monitoring elections in Kosovo. For many years before this, he worked with varied other non-government organizations (NGOs) in Kosovo, including the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), Democracy for Development (D4D), The Ethnic relations project and the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED). Valmir has vast experience with elections and political parties and has been involved in monitoring the central government agencies’ performances, with the main focus being on the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and the Central Election Commission (CEC). His work has also involved increasing public participation in policy-making and strengthening local NGOs. Overall, the areas in which he maintains his focus are elections, political parties, and public participation in policy-making.

Executive Director
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Gani Asllani

Gani has completed his studies in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Prishtina. Before joining D+, he was the Administration and Finance manager at the Advocacy Training and Resource Centre (ATRC) where he dealt with financial management, the designing of budget plans and regulation of expenditures in over 100 NGO partners of the ATRC via projects funded by USAID. As a mentor and consultant with experience in this field, he has contributed to the development of training models centred around growing capability and competence within the field of Financial management for local and international NGO’s. Gani has over 20 years of experience within the public sector in Kosovo, where he has worked with various organizations such as: The Forum, the East West Management Institute, as well as consulting for KOD, PIPS, D4D, BIRN, IKS, GAP, CBVP and other local and international NGO’s.

Director of Finance and Administration
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Albert Krasniqi

Albert has completed his studies in Philosophy at the University of Prishtina. Before joining D+, he was the Program Manager at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), where he dealt with the support of the political parties in Kosovo, specifically in the democratization and development of their capabilities. Albert has over ten years of experience in the public sector of Kosovo, where he has worked with varying organizations such as the Democratic Institute of Kosovo (KDI) and the Kosovar Institution of Policy Research and Development (KIPRED). During this time, he was involved in the monitoring of the Assembly of Kosovo’s work, as well as in supporting the development of its capabilities. He has supported the Parliamentary committees with external research through the USAID project. He has been part of the KIPRED team, which offered support for establishing and empowering the Budget Committee. For four years, he has led the secretariat of the coalition of local organizations for election monitoring at ‘Democracy in Action.’

Program Director
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Roberta Osmani

Roberta has completed her Master’s in Public Policy at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, focusing on Public Policy Analysis and International Development. She holds a scholarship with USAID’s Transformational Leadership Program. During her studies in the USA, Roberta was an assistant in her Statistics class. This is in addition to her role as a student representative for the Master’s Student Association. Roberta has work experience within the Central Level Institutions, where she has been involved as a foreign advisor with the Capacity Development Facility. Furthermore, she has served as a consultant for non-government organizations internationally. Her previous experiences include working with minority groups in Kosovo and being part of the team who drafted the strategy for the Ministry of Communities and Returns (2014-2018) and the implementation plan for 2014 - 2016. Her areas of professional interest are public policy analysis, particularly the quantitative results of the impact of good public and local-level government programs. Mainly researches fiscal and social policies related to the tax system in the developing country, as well as the fight against poverty and corruption.

Senior Researcher
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Visar Rushiti

Visar Rushti is a Policy Analyst at Democracy Plus. Beforehand, he worked in the same capacity at the GAP institute. Before joining the civil society sector, he worked within the government of Kosovo, firstly in the Department of Public Safety (2005-2007) and then in the Prime minister’s office (2007-2009). Later, he also worked with the Kosovo Security Council’s secretariat (2009-2012). During the year 2012, he took part in the program called the ‘Western Balkan Fund’ and continued to complete an internship with the Ministry of Public Affairs and the Ministry of Defence in Austria. Having attained his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Prishtina (2001-2005), he continued to achieve a Master’s in Professional Studies from the Rochester Institute of Technology at the American University of Kosovo (2009-2010). Furthermore, he has a Master in European Studies from the International Center for European Studies and European Academy for Studies in Distance (2009 – 2011)

Policy Analyst
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Albana Rexha

Dr. Albana Rexha joined our organization in September 2020 as a Senior Public Policy Analyst. Albana received her title of Doctor from the University of Southeast Europe in Northern Macedonia. She participated in the Doctorate program at the Central European University (CEU) in Hungary and the School of Public Policy ‘Willy Brant’ in Germany. She also completed her Master’s in Public Policy at CEU and her Bachelor’s at the American University Kosovo. Albana holds many prestigious awards and scholarships, including the DAAD grant; the Civil Society Scholar Award OSF; the scholarship of Excellence at AUK; the IPKO Foundation scholarship. She was selected as a student speaker for her graduating class. Her ten years of work experience in the capacity of senior analyst of policies, senior project manager, mentor, advisor, and national coordinator for government and non-government organizations, are in addition to her current role as a professor of Public Administration and Gender Integration in Public Policy at UBT. Her work concentrates on the good governance program, public administration, gender equality, and environmental policies. At D+, she is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating organizational projects.

Senior Public Policy Analyst
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Elira Salihu

Elira is the Project Coordinator for the USAID “Social Contract” Activity. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Prishtina and is currently pursuing a master's degree in "EU Integration and Public Administration" at the same institution. Throughout her academic journey, Elira has actively participated in various local and international organizations, including TOKA, Helvetas Swiss Cooperation Kosovo, Kosovalive, and Open Data Kosovo. Her involvement has primarily focused on human rights, active citizenship, and local government. Elira is distinguished as an alumna of the Swedish Institute of Young Professionals (SAYP) and a Futuregov Fellowship alumna from the Center for Policy Innovation (CPI). Through these experiences, she has gained valuable insights into innovative methods of public policy design and collaborative governance in the digital era.

Local Coordinator
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Donika Ahmetaj

Donika joined our team in March 2022 as an Intern and is currently a Project Assistant in the Good Governance program. She completed her studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Prishtina. Before joining D+, Donika was engaged in various civil society organizations, where she worked on research and monitoring of hate crime cases, domestic violence, and direct monitoring of procedural justice at the Basic Court of Prishtina. Donika was also part of the OSCE apprenticeship program, where she was assigned in the Ministry of Local Government Administration and monitored the work of local authorities. Additionally, Donika participated in the School on Integrity in Lithuania, the Youth Democracy Academy for young policymakers in France, and was recognized as a Climate Connaction fellow by the think tank Das Progressive Zentrum (DPZ) in Berlin, as well as an alumna of the Swedish Institute for Young Professionals (SAYP). Through these experiences, she has gained valuable knowledge on anti-corruption, youth engagement in decision-making, and human rights protection, sharing the acquired experiences and lessons learned in the local context. At D+, she is engaged in researching democratic practices that promote transparency and accountability in local governance. Donika contributes to projects aimed at advancing citizen participation in policymaking, with a particular focus on empowering youth and marginalized groups in society.

Project Assistant
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Ardit Dragusha

Ardit is a Researcher at Democracy Plus in the Rule of Law program, focusing mainly on public procurement. He has completed his Bachelor’s degree in the faculty of law at the University of Prishtina. Before joining D+, he was a journalist covering national and international political events.

Researcher
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Leorenta Alija

Leorenta holds the position of Researcher at Democracy Plus, in the Rule of Law program, with a special focus on monitoring public procurement. She completed her studies in Law at the University for Business and Technology (UBT) and is currently pursuing a Master's degree at the University of Pristina, Faculty of Law - Finance. She joined Democracy Plus in November 2024, after a three-year experience at the Initiative for Progress (INPO), where she also contributed to the oversight and management of public finances. Leorenta has participated in the largest arbitration competition, the Vis Moot Court in Austria, and also attended the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in the United States.

Researcher
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Lura Ajdini

Lura Ajdini serves as the Communication Officer for the USAID Recycling Matters Activity in Gracanica. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wartburg College in Iowa, USA, where she double majored in Graphic Design and Journalism and Communication, focusing on Digital Cinema and Production. Upon returning from the United States, Lura began her role as a Communication Officer with USAID’s Up to Youth Activity. During her three-year involvement in the initiative, Lura acted as the licensee and primary organizer of two TEDx events in Iowa. She also contributed to the editorial team of the college newspaper “Wartburg Trumpet” and participated in campaigns advocating for the rights of girls and women, such as V-Day. Additionally, she actively engaged in initiatives focusing on raising the voices and fostering the integration of international students within the university community. With 6 other students, she produced the short documentary “Monsters Among Us: The Mystery of the Villisca Ax Murders”, which won two first prizes in Iowa. Most recently, her graphic design thesis, “Thoughts of the Subconscious,” is in the permanent art collection at Wartburg College, on display in the student lounge.

Communication Officer
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Marigona Berisha

Marigona holds the position of Court Monitor for an EU project aimed at promoting right and just administrative procedures for citizens and businesses. Her specific area of focus centers around rule of law, good governance, and public administration, where she actively works on projects to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government institutions. She has completed her studies in Journalism at the University of Prishtina. Prior to joining Democracy plus, she has served as a political and media adviser in the Government of Kosovo. Additionally, she was a journalist for a short period in a traditional newspaper. Marigona's commitment to professional growth is reflected in her participation in various training programs across Europe, which have helped her shape and develop skills in general fields.

Court Monitor/Project Officer
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Emir Abrashi

Emir is a Policy Analyst in the Good Governance Program of Democracy Plus. He holds an MA in International Public Affairs from the Central European University and a BA in Strategic Communication from Abu Dhabi University. In D+, Emir brings a relatively long institutional and international experience. He has served for two years as Advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, where he has dealt with the correspondence and the official communication, as well as with the reforms within the Foreign Service. Previously, Emir has been involved in the process of lobbying and establishing of the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Abu Dhabi, where he served as Advisor to the Chief of Mission. In Abu Dhabi, he has also worked as a communications’ consultant for Zayed Future Energy Prize, a non-profit organization under the patronage of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Whereas, prior to that, he has served for three years as Associate in the Cabinet of the Fourth President of the Republic of Kosovo.

Policy Analyst
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Sijeta Jashari

Sijeta joined D+ in March 2023 as an intern and currently works as Finance and Administration Assistant. She completed her bachelor's studies at the Faculty of Economics, UBT College in Prizren. Before joining D+, Sijeta interned for accounting, finance, and auditing in businesses that deal with finance and accounting in Prishtina. Sijeta helps in financial management, in daily financial tasks as well as helps in other administrative parts according to the organization’s needs.

Finance & Administrative Assistant
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