Election silence begins in Kosovo

Election silence ahead of early parliamentary elections in Kosovo began at midnight. 29 electoral lists are taking part in the elections, among them eight from the Serbian community. The election campaign lasted ten days. Election silence begins in Kosovo The campaign ended with final election rallies of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) on Friday evening. LDK leader Isa Mustafa said that those who had poorly governed Kosovo should not be voted for. “We will build a state that will be respected by its citizens, that will be respected by the government and parliament. My MPs and I guarantee that,” he stressed. The citizens are optimistic about the elections and polls show that turnout will be higher than at the last local elections. The LDK election rally (Beta) Preservation of Serbia's institutions in Kosovo “The United Serb List's participation in the forthcoming elections in Kosovo is about supporting the rights of the Serb community and through this, preserving Serbia's institutions in Kosovo,” Rada Trajkovic, a Serb candidate for a seat in the Kosovo parliament, said Friday. At a campaign rally in Gracanica, she said that the United Serb List wanted to preserve the identity of the Serbian people in Kosovo, just as the Albanians preserved their identity and their right to language and culture. She, however, warned that discrimination against Serbs was visible during the campaign, pointing out that all data on the website of the election commission was updated in Albanian language. Trajkovic said that Serbs in Kosovo had survived because they had been connected with Belgrade and the Serbian government through public services, adding that the budget funding of Kosovo Serbs had helped them remain in Kosovo, and thus keep Kosovo a multi-ethnic territory. “Multiethnic Kosovo is only secured through the relationship with Serbia and Belgrade, since only the Serbian government helps the Kosovo Serbs,” she said, adding that the Serb deputies in the future Kosovo parliament would try “to develop an inter-ethnic dialogue” and determine “how prepared Albanians are for this kind of dialogue.” Rada Trajkovic (Beta) 29 electoral lists, over 1.5mn voters 1,630,636 voters are eligible to vote in the first parliamentary elections in Kosovo since its institutions unilaterally declared independence. According to information of the Kosovo Central Election Commission (CEC), 73,288 persons will have the opportunity to vote for the first time tomorrow. Citizens will vote at 2,280 polls which will open at 7:00 and close at 19:00 CET. A total of 1,265 candidates from all political parties, coalitions and citizens’ initiatives are running for seats in Kosovo assembly. Kosovo assembly has 120 seats and 20 seats are reserved for representatives of ethnic minorities. 32,021 observers will monitor the elections on Sunday. 26,059 observers belong to political parties that are taking part in the elections and the remaining 493 observers belong to international organizations. 531 representatives of embassies accredited in Kosovo and 5,108 observers from Kosovo NGOs will also monitor the elections. According to CEC, 137 polls will be opened in municipalities predominantly populated by Serbs. They could not, however, say how many polls there will be in northern Kosovo since the Serbs have announced that they will boycott the elections.

Election silence begins in Kosovo

The campaign ended with final election rallies of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) on Friday evening.

LDK leader Isa Mustafa said that those who had poorly governed Kosovo should not be voted for.

“We will build a state that will be respected by its citizens, that will be respected by the government and parliament. My MPs and I guarantee that,” he stressed.

The citizens are optimistic about the elections and polls show that turnout will be higher than at the last local elections.

Preservation of Serbia's institutions in Kosovo

“The United Serb List's participation in the forthcoming elections in Kosovo is about supporting the rights of the Serb community and through this, preserving Serbia's institutions in Kosovo,” Rada Trajković, a Serb candidate for a seat in the Kosovo parliament, said Friday.

At a campaign rally in Gračanica, she said that the United Serb List wanted to preserve the identity of the Serbian people in Kosovo, just as the Albanians preserved their identity and their right to language and culture.

She, however, warned that discrimination against Serbs was visible during the campaign, pointing out that all data on the website of the election commission was updated in Albanian language.

Trajković said that Serbs in Kosovo had survived because they had been connected with Belgrade and the Serbian government through public services, adding that the budget funding of Kosovo Serbs had helped them remain in Kosovo, and thus keep Kosovo a multi-ethnic territory.

“Multiethnic Kosovo is only secured through the relationship with Serbia and Belgrade, since only the Serbian government helps the Kosovo Serbs,” she said, adding that the Serb deputies in the future Kosovo parliament would try “to develop an inter-ethnic dialogue” and determine “how prepared Albanians are for this kind of dialogue.”

29 electoral lists, over 1.5mn voters

1,630,636 voters are eligible to vote in the first parliamentary elections in Kosovo since its institutions unilaterally declared independence. According to information of the Kosovo Central Election Commission (CEC), 73,288 persons will have the opportunity to vote for the first time tomorrow.

Citizens will vote at 2,280 polls which will open at 7:00 and close at 19:00 CET.

A total of 1,265 candidates from all political parties, coalitions and citizens’ initiatives are running for seats in Kosovo assembly.

Kosovo assembly has 120 seats and 20 seats are reserved for representatives of ethnic minorities.

32,021 observers will monitor the elections on Sunday. 26,059 observers belong to political parties that are taking part in the elections and the remaining 493 observers belong to international organizations. 531 representatives of embassies accredited in Kosovo and 5,108 observers from Kosovo NGOs will also monitor the elections.

According to CEC, 137 polls will be opened in municipalities predominantly populated by Serbs. They could not, however, say how many polls there will be in northern Kosovo since the Serbs have announced that they will boycott the elections.