Skip to main content
Kosovo

Kosovo votes in knife-edge election

Kosovo’s incumbent prime minister, Hashim Thaci, cast his vote on Sunday morning in the first election since the declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008.

Reuters/Hazir Reka
Advertising

"Kosovo is voting today for a European future, for visa liberalisation and [...] and integration into the European Union and the United Nations," he told reporters at the Pristina elementary school where he voted.

02:45

Miljenko Dereta, Director of Civic Initiatives, Belgrade

Marjorie Hache

Thaci’s Democratic Party (PDK) faces a challenge from its former coalition partner, the Democratic League (LDK), led by the capital’s mayor Isa Mustafa.

Last opinion polls before the vote showed the LDK closing in on the PDK at 28 per cent to 30 per cent.

Former anti-Serbian guerrilla leader Thaci has his strongest support in rural areas and has suffered from corruption scandals involving PDK officials.

Two other parties are expected to win seats – Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination Party, which was born out of street protests and the Fryma e Re (Fresh Air) Party.

Serbia has called on Serbs to boycott the poll and the 40,000 who live in the majority-Serb north are likely to do so. But the 80,000 living in enclaves in central Kosovo may go to the polls.

"Between the two groups of Serbs in the south and the north, I think that there is a deepening difference," observes Miljenko Dereta of the Serbian NGO Civic Initiatives. "It’s not a good sign for the future of Kosovo because this division may in fact endanger the minority of Serbs from the south.”

Discontent about unemployment and poverty may cut across sectarian divisions, he believes.

"It’s an important development in a positive sense. People are getting together because they have common interests and common problems, the Belgrade-based activist says.

“This is a first small step in a very complex political talks we will have I think in the next year or two about the formulations of how to recognise the independence of Kosovo on the Serbian side and on the Albanian side of how to present a picture of democratic society which will include different treatment of the Serbian minority.”

Kosovo today:

  • The electorate is 1.6 million;
  • Ethnic Albanians make up about 90 per cent of the population - they revolted against Serbian rule after the break-up of Yugoslavia;
  • The Serb minority have 10 of the 129 seats in parliament reserved for them and the figure could rise to 15 if turnout is high;
  • Unemployment is 48 per cent;
  • Poverty affects nearly half the population.

 

 

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app

Share :
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.