PRISTINA – At yesterday’s parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje secured the most votes but fell short of the majority needed to form government on its own.
According to the preliminary results, the ruling party won around 41% of the vote. Four years ago, it won 50%, the best result by a single list since Kosovo’s declaration of independence.
The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won around 22% of the vote, while the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) won close to 18%. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Nisma, a coalition led by former Kosovo Liberation Army commanders Ramush Haradinaj and Fatmir Limaj, received 7,65%.
Despite falling well short of his landslide victory four years ago, Kurti declared that he would serve a third term as Kosovo’s Prime Minister.
“We are in first place, and this is a confirmation of the good and democratic governance that has led the country forward. The people have von, Vetëvendosje has won”, Kurti told his supporters celebrating the victory.
Last night, however, the opposition also declared victory. AAK leader, Ramush Haradinaj, said that “the opposition has won” and that he is ready to take part in forming a new government.
Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), said he takes full responsibility for his party’s election results and will be accountable to its members.
“Although we have significantly improved our results compared to the previous elections, this is still not enough for us. Since the voters did not see me as prime minister this time, I have no problem with us remaining in opposition in the next parliamentary term,” Abdixhiku stated.
Forming a government in Kosovo requires more than 60 seats in the 120-member parliament, where 10 seats are reserved for the Serb community and another 10 for other ethnic minorities.
The Serb List, which enjoys the backing of Belgrade, announced that it had won all 10 Serb-designated seats. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić confirmed this in a statement on Instagram.