The House Democracy Partnership (HDP) is a bipartisan commission of the U.S. House of Representatives that works directly with over 20 partner parliaments around the world to support the development of effective, independent, and responsive legislatures. HDP is proudly implemented by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
In this month’s alumni profile, Arben Loshi, Acting Secretary General of the Assembly of Kosovo, shares his experience participating in HDP programming.
What parliament and chamber are you a staff member of?
I am currently the Chief Administrative Officer of the Administration of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo.
What HDP program did you participate in?
I participated in a workshop on “The role of research services in parliamentary life,” which focused on the role of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in the U.S. Congress, as well as a workshop on the topic of “Increasing parliamentary efficiency: Using data-driven decision-making in the legislative process, with a focus on digital tools and innovation strategies.”
What do you want other people to know about your country?
Kosovo is very beautiful in all seasons of the year. If you visit Kosovo for a few days, it is
worth visiting Artana Castle, otherwise known as Novobërda Castle. In this castle, the ruins of a medieval city in which more than 50,000 inhabitants are kept. Then, Prizren Castle, is the most famous monument of cultural heritage and the symbol of the city of Prizren. Brezovica and Luboten, where Bjeshket e Sharrit offer spectacular views and special vegetation. Rugova, which is among the top tourist destinations on the list of top Kosovar destinations. Mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes are all valuable assets.
The Marble Cave in Gadime, also known as the “Cave of Gadima,” is 1,500 meters long and is rich in rare crystals. In Kosovo, there are four large lakes you can visit. In the municipality of Zubin Potok there is the largest lake, Ujman, then you can visit Radonić Lake in Gjakovë, Badovci Lake, which is located 5 kilometers from Pristina in the direction of Graçanica, and Batllava Lake, in the municipality of Besiana.
What advice would you give to new parliamentary staff?
Working as a staff member of the Parliament is a unique opportunity, so take the job with maximum seriousness. Always be prepared for questions about the procedures and especially about the constitutional issues and those regulated by the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament.
Why did you decide to become a staff member in parliament?
Kosovo is a parliamentary democracy and working as a staff member of the Parliament’s administration for me personally is a unique opportunity to contribute with advice and analysis for a better law-making and effective and efficient supervision of the implementation of the legislation.
Looking back on the HDP program, what was most impactful for you?
The programs realized by HDP are very professional. The workshops organized by HDP involve U.S. congressional staff who teach or share professional knowledge proven in their parliamentary life and professional experiences. It is a pleasure to learn from people with a professional background such as U.S. congressional staff.
How are you applying your experience from the HDP mission to your role as staff?
As a staff and as a parliamentary service, we implement the lessons learned from the exchanges with the experts of the counterpart services from the U.S. Congress, as far as the opportunities and procedures in force allow.
What information, if any, that you gained through the HDP program have you shared with fellow staff members in parliament?
From the training I had at CRS, at the U.S. Congress, I received additional knowledge about the techniques and methodology used by CRS for the design of qualitative research that serve the Parliamentary Commissions and individual deputies, and I translated that knowledge into my daily work, which I performed in the parliamentary research service of the Assembly of Kosovo.
What accomplishments in parliament are you most proud of?
I am particularly proud because I am the first Director of the Directorate for Research, Library and Archives in the Assembly of Kosovo. This directorate started working in 2012 and in the field of parliamentary research we have achieved high results, these results which were initially confirmed by the deputies as well as by various projects and programs which have supported the Assembly of Kosovo.
Top