Kosovo prepares for a parliamentary election on Sunday, facing internal divisions and external pressures. Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Vetevendosje! party is favored, but a coalition government appears likely. The outcome will impact Kosovo's relationship with Serbia, the EU, and the US.
Kosovo goes to the polls Sunday in a parliamentary election expected to be a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti . Eligible voters, including those of the diaspora, will cast ballots to elect 120 lawmakers among 26 political groupings and one independent candidate in a vote held from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. This is the first time since independence in 2008 that Kosovo ’s parliament has completed a full four-year mandate.
It is the ninth parliamentary vote since the end of the 1998-1999 war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists that pushed Serbian forces out following a 78-day NATO air campaign. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, proclaimed in 2008. Kurti’s left-wing Vetevendosje! or Self-Determination Movement Party is seen as the front-runner but is not expected to win the necessary majority to govern alone, leaving open the possibility the other two contenders join ranks if he fails to form a Cabinet. During the election campaign the parties made big-ticket pledges to increase public salaries and pensions, improve education and health services, and fight poverty. However, they did not explain where the money would come from, nor how they would attract more foreign investment. “We have an alternative to guarantee a better life in Kosovo,” said Lumir Abdixhiku of the LDK. Kosovo, with a population of 1.6 million, is one of the poorest countries in Europe with an annual gross domestic product of less than 6,000 Euros per person. Foreign aid has been key in promoting the country’s growth. The U.S. has invested $2 billion in Kosovo since 1999, including investments of over $1 billion from USAID.Kurti has been at odds with Western powers over some Cabinet actions last year, such as a ban on using the Serbian dinar and transfers from Serbia to citizens of Kosovo who depend on social services and payments. Washington, Brussels and the NATO-led stabilization force KFOR have urged the government in Pristina to refrain from unilateral actions, fearing the revival of inter-ethnic conflict. The EU suspended funding for some projects almost two years ago. Brussels has already set conditions for the gradual lifting of the temporary measure, linked to Kosovo taking steps to de-escalate tensions in the north, where most of the Serb minority lives. “The new government must take decisive steps to restore credibility and partnership with EU and United States, including the fulfilment of all the obligations that stem from the dialogue with Serbia,” said analyst Ilir Deda.
Kosovo Election Albin Kurti Vetevendosje! Serbia EU US Tensions Coalition Government
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