The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, expressed once again his conviction that he would win the elections of 8 June. However, he added during his interview for RTV21 broadcaster that if this does not happen, he would step down from the position of the leader of his party. “I will step down from the position of the president of the party if I lose the elections,” said Mustafa.
On its front page, the paper shares the results of a poll which it says was carried out late May by an unnamed company. The poll puts the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) in the lead with 31.2 percent, while the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) follows with 25.5 percent. In third place is Vetevendosje with 14.3 percent while the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) is in fourth with 9 percent. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) is ranked fifth with 8 percent whereas the Initiative for Kosovo is not expected to cross the election threshold and will win no more than 2.5 percent of votes.
British Ambassador Ian Cliff, in a front-page interview for the paper, said that election fraud, as it happened in 2010, would be a setback for democracy in Kosovo and a very bad thing for its European integration. However, he said that the last local elections had given him hope that the upcoming ones would be free and fair. “If the message of political parties reaches activists on the ground that fraud is unacceptable, then I think we will have free and fair elections”, said Cliff.
The Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Valdete Daka, stated on Wednesday that the election campaigns are flowing normally. She added that representatives of the political parties have presented their governing programmes and they excluded aggressive vocabulary. She expressed optimism that Sunday’s elections would be held in a democratic spirit. She added that there are no indications that a repeat of what happened in the November 2013 elections will occur again in the north. She said that the preliminary results for the 8 June elections will be published live through K-VOTE.
Civic Initiative SDP is not officially informed about continuation of campaign of Serbian List, said deputy leader of the CI SDP Ksenija Božović to KIM radio.
CI SDP Oliver Ivanović has reached an agreement, after elections were called in Kosovo, on joint participation in elections with the Civic Initiative Srpska and Independent Liberal Party. Yesterday, after talks with the Serbian leadership, Serbian List decided to continue with election campaign, however not all candidates from the list are informed, claims Božović.
Halil Matoshi today writes of reasons why the 8 June vote should go to the Democratic League of Kosovo. He says that LDK governance would not be revolutionary or miraculous but would be a significant and permanent change in the good of the citizens.
Milaim Shefkiu in a column for the paper writes that the last days of election campaign are considered to be the most critical where the promises of political parties become even more absurd but at the same time outdated.
At this period, certain parties have entered a kind of a labyrinth and can’t find the way out while others are already dreaming what they’ll do once they come to power. At the same time, while everyone is busy campaigning, the work in the public administration has come to a standstill. But this, says Shefkiu, is not the worst thing in all this situation.
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci called today for free, fair and democratic elections on 8 June. Thaci told the government meeting today that on 8 June the will of the people needs to be respected and that this would prove the consolidation of the state of Kosovo.
Thaci thanked all citizens and political parties for a peaceful campaign and open competition. “I think that through this campaign the society of Kosovo is showing that we are fostering our democracy and proving that the state of Kosovo has a safe future,” he added.
Participation in 8 June elections is in the interest of Serbs, stated British Ambassador to Kosovo Ian Cliff to RTK2.
“I see that political debates are starting which are not based only on patriotism. There are discussion over economy, employment, health”, said Cliff. He stressed that problems with the lack of medicine in health centers in majority Serbian municipalities in Kosovo, which has been talked about in campaign, should be resolved as soon as possible.
Conditional vote will be allowed in the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held on June 8th.
A spokesman of the Central Election Commission Valmir Elezi said that conditional voting is a legal option that can be used by eligible voters who for some reason cannot vote at their polling places.
"Conditional voting can be realized at each polling station," said Elezi.
The CEC confirmed that about 1.8 million people have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo.