In the second round of local elections in Kosovo, the ruling Self-Determination movement of the current Prime Minister Aljbin Kurti lost the capital Pristina, as well as the second largest city of Prizren.
Of the 12 municipalities in which Self-Determination went to the second election round, only four won - Gnjilane, Podujevo, Kamenica and Štimlje, and Obilić, Đakovica, Kačanik, Kosovo Polje, Vitina and Orahovac did not win.
The second election round, which was held a month after the first, is considered a key test for Self-Determination and Kurti.
Based on the preliminary results of the Central Election Commission of Kosovo, British-educated architect Prparim Rama from the Democratic Union of Kosovo (DSK) won the second round of voting in Pristina on Sunday (November 14) with about 51 percent of the vote.
The candidate of Self-Determination, former Minister of Health, Arben Vitia from Self-Determination received about 48 percent of the votes.
Vitia admitted defeat and wished Rama success, while the new mayor of Pristina promised to work for the benefit of all the citizens of Pristina.
Other municipalities
In Prizren, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK) candidate Šaćir Totaj won more votes than the Self-Determination candidate Mutaher Haskuk. Totaj received 51 percent of the vote and Haskuk almost 49 percent.
The candidate for mayor of Djakovica Ardian Djini from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo won in that municipality against Mimoza Kusari Ljilja, who was a candidate of Self-Determination. Đini got about 56 percent of the votes and Kusari Ljilja about 43 percent.
In Gjilan, Aljban Hiseni from Self-Determination received more votes than Ljutfi Haziri from DSK. Hiseni got about 51 percent of the votes and Haziri about 48.
In Podujevo, Špejtim Bulići from Self-Determination won the majority of votes with around 51 percent of the votes.
Also, based on the preliminary results, Self-Determination won in Kamenica and Štimlje. Apart from Pristina, DSK got Istok, Kosovo Polje and Vitina. DPK also won in Glogovac, Dragaš, Kačanik and Vučitrn.
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, apart from Đakovica, also won in Klina, Orahovac and Junik. The Social Democratic initiative won in Mališevo. Džafer Gaši from the Civic Initiative for Obilić won in Obilić.
Of the ten municipalities with a Serb majority in Kosovo, only the citizens of Klokot went to the polls on Sunday, where Vladan Bogdanović (55,13 percent) received more votes than Strahinja Spasić from the Citizens' Initiative Serbian Narodna Sloga (44,87 percent). .
The Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo won in Mamusa.
Changed political scene
DPK President Memlji Krasnići said that his party won in five municipalities in the second round of elections and added that the citizens of Kosovo rejected the "one-man rule model".
"After these elections, the political scene in Kosovo has changed. There is no longer a dominant political force like eight months ago. The citizens of Kosovo have turned their backs on Aljbin Kurti and the Self-Determination Movement," Krasnići said.
Krasnići underlined that DPK won a total of nine municipalities.
Earlier, DSK leader Ljumir Abdižiku said that his party won the second round in six municipalities, including the capital, Pristina.
"It is an extraordinary success for the Democratic Union of Kosovo and for the capital," he said.
38 percent of voters voted
Kosovo citizens elected mayors in 21 municipalities in the second round on Sunday.
By the time the polls closed at 19 p.m., around 38 percent of citizens had voted, according to data from the Central Election Commission.
The first round was held on October 17, when 17 mayors were elected. A total of 38 local governments operate in Kosovo.
19 citizens of Kosovo had the right to vote at the polling stations, which opened at 1.260.571:1.638 a.m. and closed at 575:XNUMX p.m., and XNUMX polling stations were opened within XNUMX polling centers.
Voters outside Kosovo had two weeks from October 29 to exercise their right to vote in the second round of local elections.
The police received 21 reports of irregularities
The Kosovo police announced that they received 21 reports related to the election process, and prosecutors responded in three cases.
In the press release, it is specified that in the municipality of Junik and Peć, proceedings were initiated for the criminal offense of "disruption of voting", and the suspect was ordered to be detained for 48 hours.
Also, one person was detained for "disturbance of public order and peace" in the municipalities of Junik and Peć, but was later released.
In the municipality of Vučitrn, one person is suspected of "forging a document" and this case entered the regular procedure.
On the other hand, the Central Electoral Commission announced that by 15 pm it had not received information about incidents that could affect the election process.
Previously, the coalition of non-governmental organizations Democracy in Action, which monitors the election process, announced that epidemiological measures against COVID-19 are not being followed.
Prime Minister of Kosovo Aljbin Kurti said in Pristina where he voted that local elections are important, and called on everyone with the right to vote to take advantage of this opportunity and elect their local leaders, who will lead them in the next four years.
"Today is a very important day, when the fate of the municipalities we live in is determined. That is why it is very important that the citizens do their duty so that tomorrow they will have greater rights and a better quality of life," said the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani.
US Chargé d'affaires in Kosovo Nicholas Gjakobi also called on everyone to use their right to vote in the second round of local elections and wrote on his Twitter account that voting ensures democracy.
In the meantime, during the election day, the head of the European Union observer mission in Kosovo, Lukas Mandl, said that Sunday's local elections in 21 municipalities are closely monitored by 62 observers, and added that they will carefully monitor the entire election process, as well as the vote counting process.
"I encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote, to go to the polls, to vote for one or another candidate and to contribute to democracy," said Mandl.
By the way, in the local elections in 2017, the winner was known in 19 municipalities in the first round, while in the other 19 municipalities, the second round went.
How did the first round of voting go?
In the first round of local elections on October 17, about 43 percent of citizens with the right to vote voted.
The highest turnout was in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, where the majority Serb population lives, so in Zvečan, about 85 percent of the total number of registered voters voted.
European Union observers assessed that there were no major irregularities during the election day.
The local government in Kosovo is elected for a four-year term.
Who won the first round of voting?
The Self-Determination Movement, headed by the current Prime Minister of Kosovo, Aljbin Kurti, did not win any municipalities in the first round of voting, but 12 municipalities go to the second round.
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo won in the municipality of Dečane, so that local self-government will be led by Baški Ramosaj for the next four years, as well as in Suva Reka, where Balji Muharemaj won.
In the first round, the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo won Lipljan with candidate Imri Ahmeti and Peć, where Gazmend Muhadžeri won.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo won in the first round of local elections in South Mitrovica, so that local self-government will be led by Bedri Hamza for the next four years.
This party also won in Uroševac, where the mayor will be Agim Aljiu, as well as in Eljezov Han, where Mehmet Balaži won.
By far the most municipalities in the first round of voting were won by Srpska lista, i.e. nine out of ten municipalities with a Serbian majority, so Milan Radojević will be the head of Northern Mitrovica, Zoran Todić will again be the mayor of Leposavic, Srđan Vulović won in Zubin Potok, Dragiša Milović in Zvečan, in Gračanica the new mayor will be Ljiljana Šubarić, in Novi Brdo Saša Milošević won, Dalibor Jevtić in Štrpac, Katarina Ristić in Ranilug and Dragan Petković in Partes.
Serbian List is the leading party of Kosovo Serbs, which has the support of official Belgrade.
Councilors in local assemblies were voted for in the first round, and according to CEC data, the Democratic Union of Kosovo won the most votes, over 170, while the ruling Self-Determination Movement got 000 votes. Next is the Democratic Party of Kosovo (168.084), the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (161.645) and the Serbian List (90.863).
The second round of elections in Kosovo took place in compliance with epidemiological measures in the fight against COVID-19, it was mandatory to wear masks and maintain physical distance.
People suffering from COVID-19, as well as people in self-isolation, were also allowed to vote.
Along with epidemiological measures, the first round of local elections was held on October 17, as well as parliamentary elections at the beginning of the year.
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