UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, October 18, 2021

Central Election Commission: 43 percent voter turn-out
CEC's preliminary results show projected winners of local elections (media)
Pristina most likely heading to run-off mayoral election (media)
Local elections: 17 mayors decided, 21 municipalities head to run-offs (Koha)
Vetevendosje: We won bigger municipalities; we go to runoff in others (Koha)
LDK: We have won several municipalities; runoffs in Prishtina and Podujeva (media)
PDK: Preliminary results are very positive (media)
Haradinaj: Results indicate we have won six municipalities (media)
Rakic: Without Association, there won’t be Kosovo institutions either (RFE)
Serbian List declares victory in all ten Serb-majority municipalities (RTS)
Every time SL “withdrew” from Kosovo institutions (KoSSev)
Demi: Changes in party leaderships giving results (Koha)
U.S. Embassy: Another victory for Kosovo’s young, thriving democracy
Petkovic: I congratulate Serbian List on convincing and historic victory (Kosovo-online)
Center-right parties lead in Kosovo’s municipal vote (AP)
Kosovo Picks 17 Mayoral Winners, But Pristina, 21 Others Head To Second Round (RFE)
Kosovo's municipal election: Centre-right opposition lead after early results (euronews)
Police, customs point in the north believed to be attacked with sniper bullet (Kallxo)
COVID-19: No deaths, 10 new cases (media)

Central Election Commission: 43 percent voter turn-out

Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said after the closing of the polls that there was a 43 percent voter turn-out in today’s local elections, namely 770,117 persons exercised their right to vote.

The turnout is similar to that in the 2017 local elections. After polling stations closed at 19:00 hours, a spokesperson for the Democracy in Action, a coalition of NGOs monitoring the election process, told reporters that no incident that could threaten the integrity and credibility of the elections was recorded today.

CEC's preliminary results show projected winners of local elections (media)

Based on the preliminary results of the Central Election Commission (CEC), last updated at midnight, 17 municipalities have decided their mayors in the first round of voting while the rest of 21 municipalities are most likely heading for run-off elections.

The Serbian List (SL) has won in the first round leadership in: Leposavic, Novoberde, Gracanica, Shterpce, Partesh, Ranillug, Zvecan, Zubin Potok, and Mitrovica North. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has won in: Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Hani i Elezit, Skenderaj. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) won in Decan and Suhareka, while the Democratic League of Kosovo won Lipjan and Peja.

The municipalities heading to run-offs include:

Prishtina: Arben Vitia (LVV) - 42.36% and Perparim Rama (LDK) - 29.31%;

Gjakova: Ardian Gjini (AAK) - 45.96% and Mimoza Kusari-Lila (LVV) - 37.13%;

Gjilan: Alban Hyseni (LVV) - 44.41% and Lutfi Haziri (LDK) 43.97%;

Drenas: Ramiz Lladrovci (PDK) - 46.62% and Driton Ajazi (DD) - 30.74%;

Dragash: Bexhet Xheladini (LDK) - 34.87% and Shaban Shabani (PDK) - 33.72%;

Istog: Ilir Ferati (LDK) - 40.74% and Beke Berisha (AAK) - 26.59%;

Kacanik: Besim Ilazi (PDK) - 44.75% and Jeton Raka (LVV) - 33.18%;

Klina: Zenun Elezaj (AAK) - 43.10% and Esat Raci (PDK) - 27.60%;

Fushe Kosove: Burim Berisha (LDK) - 49.96% and Enver Bajcinca (LVV) - 25.33%;

Kamenica: Qendron Kastrati (PSD) - 32.69% and Kadri Rahimaj (LVV) - 30.37%;

Obiliq: Xhafer Gashi (IQO) - 48.25% and Halil Thaci (LVV) - 20.00%;

Rahovec: Smajl Latifi (AAK) - 47.23% and Visar Korenica (LVV) - 24.78%;

Podujeva: Ekrem Hyseni (LDK) - 44.30% and Shpejtim Bulliqi (LVV) - 44.00%;

Prizren: Mytaher Haskuka (LVV) - 39.72% and Shaqir Totaj (PDK) - 31.41%;

Shtime: Qemajl Aliu (LVV) - 45.10% and Naim Ismajli (PDK) - 44.64%;

Vitia: Sokol Haliti (LDK) - 41.83% and Arsim Ademi (LVV) - 34.83%;

Vushtrri: Ferit Idrizi (PDK) - 34.89% and Xhafer Tahiri (LDK) - 33.77%;

Malisheva: Ekrem Kastrati (NISMA) - 34.30% and Isni Kilaj (PDK) - 29.07%;

Junik: Agron Kuci (AAK) - 47.26% and Ruzhdi Shehu (LDK) - 37.87%;

Mamusha: Abdulhadi Krasnic (KDTP) - 48.72% and Arif Butuc (KATP) - 37.64%;

Kllokot: Vladan Bogdanovic (SL) - 40.20% and Strahinja Spasic (GI GNS) - 33.06%.

Pristina most likely heading to run-off mayoral election (media)

The preliminary results for Pristina mayor showed no candidate has won more than 50 percent of the votes meaning that the municipality is set to head for a second round of voting. With 99% of the votes counted, the leading candidate is Vetevendosje's Arben Vitia with 42.26%, followed by Perparim Rama from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 29.34%. Uran Ismaili from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has won 21.61% while Daut Haradinaj from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) 4.82%.

Vitia said last night that Vetevendosje's local election result was 'outstanding' but that the party will wait for the processing of all the data before making any statements. Vitia, speaking to Koha, also said it was too early to speak about run-offs saying that final results need to be waited.

Rama meanwhile posted an illustrated picture of him on social media, thanking all his voters.

Thanking the people that voted for him, Ismaili said a new spirit surfaced in Pristina yesterday: "A new way of policy making - centered at the citizen." "The seed has been planted," he said.

Local elections: 17 mayors decided, 21 municipalities head to run-offs (Koha)

Nearly half of Kosovo's municipalities mayors have been decided in Sunday's local elections. But the other half, including large municipalities such as Pristina, Prizren, Gjilan, Gjakova and Podujeva, will be determined after the run-off, Koha reports, adding that the ruling party, Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), failed to hold on to the spirit of victory expressed in the February 14 parliamentary elections at the local level as well.

The party did not achieve an outright victory in any of the municipalities although in some it heads to the second round of voting as the leading party. Among the Albanian parties, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the most in the first round, followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). But the record is held by the Serbian List with 9 municipalities won out of 10.

Vetevendosje: We won bigger municipalities; we go to runoff in others (Koha)

Vetevendosje’s Fitore Pacolli said last night that the exit polls results announced in TV stations are not true. According to Pacolli, Vetevendosje has won in the municipalities of Prishtina and Podujevo and will not have to go to runoff elections there. “In every municipality, where will have runoff elections, we will win,” she said.

LDK: We have won several municipalities; runoffs in Prishtina and Podujeva (media)

Arben Gashi, senior member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and head of its election team, told a press conference that they have won four municipalities and will go to runoff elections in the municipalities of Prishtina and Peja.

Lumir Abdixhiku, party leader, said that they have either won, lead or compete in the second round of voting in a total of 11 municipalities. He said local elections were ‘exemplary’.

PDK: Preliminary results are very positive (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi said the party did extremely well in yesterday's elections. "The citizens showed today that the stronger the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the more secure and developed the state of Kosovo is," he said last night.

PDK deputy leader Vlora Citaku meanwhile said that initial results of the local elections are very positive for the party. "Kosovo has consistently demonstrated during these years a high culture of civilization, acceptance and non-contestation of results", said Çitaku, calling for each vote to be counted.

Haradinaj: Results indicate we have won six municipalities (media)

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said that based on their information, the party has won six municipalities.

"The AAK has aimed for a better result in these elections. Our results say that we have won six municipalities: Gjakova, Suhareka, Rahovec, Klina, Decan and Junik. We go to the run-off at least in Istog. An increase of votes has been observed in Peja, Pristina and Podujeva," he said.

Rakic: Without Association, there won’t be Kosovo institutions either (RFE)

Serbian List leader Goran Rakic told a press conference on Sunday evening that candidates from this party have won the 10 mainly Serb inhabited municipalities. He said they are fighting to implement the agreement on the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo. “If talks [in Brussels] about the Association do not start in the next two months, there won’t be any Kosovo institutions either,” said Rakic.

Serbian List declares victory in all ten Serb-majority municipalities (RTS)

Serbian List candidates have won in all ten Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, the List said, RTS reports. The general turnout in the local elections in Kosovo was 42.8 percent and the highest turnout was recorded in northern Kosovo municipalities, higher than 60 percent.

Serbian List also said its candidates Milan Radojevic and Ljiljana Subaric won mayoral elections in Mitrovica North and Gracanica respectively. According to preliminary results Radojevic won more than 10.000 votes, President of Serbian List Goran Rakic said. He added Subaric won four times more votes than her opponent Branimir Stojanovic.

Commenting on election results of the Serbian List Rakic said that Serbian people “despite of all pressure and attacks, have demonstrated unity, harmony and strength”.

“Serbian people have listened to the call of their Serbian List and their President and with a record-high turnout provided support to continue the fight for the survival and remain of our people”, Rakic said in a press conference.

He also pointed out this was the fight for the Community for Serb-majority municipalities, adding if there would be no Community of the Serb Municipalities, there would be no Kosovo institutions either.

He emphasized that by today’s victory in elections Serb-majority municipalities remain in the hands of the Serbian people. Meanwhile, Kosovo-online portal reported that Serbian List candidates were leading in other eight remaining Serb-majority municipalities.

Every time SL “withdrew” from Kosovo institutions (KoSSev)

“The president was ready to support every decision we made, as I said just now – our decision, that is, the unanimous decision of the party bodies was not to go to the polls. However, we made a joint decision at that meeting to go to the polls tomorrow. Thus, we maintained the right to make a decision exclusively in the interest of the Serb people”, Serbian List President and Kosovo Minister for Communities and Returns Goran Rakic said at a press conference in North Mitrovica Saturday, KoSSev portal reports.

Rakic held the press conference in the presence of three mayors from the north and candidate for mayor of Zvecan.

Even though the electoral silence was underway, Rakic repeatedly called on the citizens to vote and do so in as large a number as possible. Underlining that he does not want to tell the citizens for whom they should vote precisely because of electoral silence, Rakic stated that the people, however, know very well for whom they should cast their votes, the portal adds.