2023 Kosovan local elections

Local elections were held in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo on 23 April 2023.[1] They were initially scheduled to be held in December 2022, but were subsequently postponed.[2] The elections were held in the four Serb-majority municipalities of Leposavić, North Mitrovica, Zubin Potok and Zvečan, located in North Kosovo.[3] The elections were boycotted by the biggest Serb political party in Kosovo, the Serb List, following its departure from Kosovan institutions and the resignation of their mayors in North Kosovo in November.[4][5] Among the declared candidates, there were only two Serbs. Aleksandar Arsenijević, candidate for mayor of the North Mitrovica Municipality, withdrew his candidacy on 2 December.[6][7] Only the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Vetëvendosje (LVV) had mayoral candidates in all four municipalities.[8][9] Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani had initially set 25 December as the polling date for the municipal assemblies of Zvečan and Leposavić in the north of Kosovo.[10] On 20 April, candidate for mayor of the Leposavić Municipality Aleksandar Jablanović, leader of the Party of Kosovo Serbs (PKS), withdrew his candidature for running in the elections.

Politics of Kosovo
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The elections were overshadowed by a boycott of Serbian parties and an extremely low turnout. Only 3.47% of the eligible 45,095 voted: 1,566 of them were Albanians and only 13 were Serbs. All elected heads of municipalities with a predominant Serbian majority are Albanians.[11][12] This election recorded one of the lowest turnouts ever.

Debates
Debates for local elections in 2023.
Date Time Organizer     P  Present    R  Refused to attend   U  Uninvited   S  Surrogate  
LVV PDK PKS CI "Mitrovica" Independent
18. apr 11:00 Medija Centar
Čaglavica[13]		 U U S
Andrija Ignjatović		 S
Nedžad Ugljanin		 P
Slađana Pantović
18. apr 20:30 RTK 1[14] P
Erden Atiq		 R U P
Betim Osmani		 U
19. apr 21:30 RTK 1 R R U U P
Slađana Pantović

Results

Leposavić
CandidatePartyVotes%
Lulzim HetemiVetëvendosje10073.53
Albulena Behluli HetemiDemocratic Party of Kosovo3425.00
Aleksandar Jablanović[lower-alpha 1]Party of Kosovo Serbs21.47
Total136100.00
Valid votes13696.45
Invalid/blank votes53.55
Total votes141100.00
Registered voters/turnout13,3181.06
Source: CEC of Kosovo, Prishtina Insight
  1. Withdrawn but still on the ballot

North Mitrovica
CandidatePartyVotes%
Erden AtiqVetëvendosje51966.54
Taulant KelmendiDemocratic Party of Kosovo18623.85
Betim OsmaniMitrovica Civic Initiative759.62
Total780100.00
Valid votes78093.19
Invalid/blank votes576.81
Total votes837100.00
Registered voters/turnout18,1184.62
Source: CEC of Kosovo, Prishtina Insight

Zubin Potok
CandidatePartyVotes%
Izmir ZeqiriDemocratic Party of Kosovo19652.13
Flatron HasaniVetëvendosje18047.87
Total376100.00
Valid votes37697.66
Invalid/blank votes92.34
Total votes385100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,6615.78
Source: CEC of Kosovo, Prishtina Insight

Zvečan
CandidatePartyVotes%
Ilir PeciDemocratic Party of Kosovo11460.00
Fetah PeciVetëvendosje7137.37
Slađana PantovićIndependent52.63
Total190100.00
Valid votes19093.14
Invalid/blank votes146.86
Total votes204100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,9982.92
Source: CEC of Kosovo, Prishtina Insight

Aftermath

Despite the low turnout, U.S. officials announced they would recognize the results.[15] As a result of the boycott, ethnic Albanian mayors were elected in all four municipalities. The Vetëvendosje party of Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti won the mayoral races in North Mitrovica and Leposavić, while candidates from the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo were declared the winners in Zvečan and Zubin Potok.[16]

On 26 May 2023, Kosovo police took control of the municipal buildings in Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić by force, in order to enable the elected mayors – whom ethnic Serbs had refused to cooperate with – to assume office. A week earlier, in North Mitrovica, the transition was handled peacefully. Protesters had gathered in front of the municipal buildings. A civil disturbance took place in Zvečan, during which the protesters unsuccessfully tried to stop the police from escorting the mayor inside. Ten protesters were treated for light injuries and tear gas inhalation, while five police officers received minor injuries.[17][18] The flag of Serbia was removed from all four municipal buildings and replaced with the flag of Kosovo.[19][20] Serbia declared that its armed forces have raised the level of combat readiness and have been moved closer to the border.[21] Kosovar authorities' use of force to protect the mayors was condemned by the United States and the EU.[22][17]

On 29 May 2023, clashes erupted in northern Kosovo leading to injuries to 25 KFOR peacekeepers from Hungary and Italy. Up to 50 ethnic Serb protestors were also injured.[23]

See also

References
  1. "Kosovo delays local election in Serbian majority areas – DW – 12/10/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  2. "Predsednica raspisala izbore na severu Kosova 18. decembra". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  3. "Izbori na severu Kosova raspisani za 18. decembar". BBC News na srpskom (in Serbian (Latin script)). Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  4. "Sve srpske partije bojkutuju lokalne izbore na severu Kosova". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  5. "Neki bojkotuju, neki najavljuju izlazak, a neki i ćute: Moguća promena odluke Srpske liste - Politika - Dnevni list Danas" (in Serbian). 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  6. "Aleksandar Arsenijević (Srpski opstanak) povukao kandidaturu za gradonačelnika Severne Mitrovice - Politika - Dnevni list Danas" (in Serbian). 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  7. Kosovo Online (2022-12-05). "CIK potvrdila da je Arsenijević povukao kandidaturu za gradonačelnika Severne Mitrovice" (in Serbian). Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  8. KoSSev (2022-11-28). "CIK overio prijave za izbore na Severu, objavljena imena kandidata". KoSSev (in Serbian). Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  9. "Kosovë, certifikohen kandidatët për kryetarë në katër komunat me shumicë serbe". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  10. "Izbori za Skupštine opština Zvečan i Leposavić 25. decembra". Radio KiM (in Serbian). Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  11. "Petković: Na izbore na severu Kosova izašlo 3,47 odsto birača – samo 13 Srba". Kosovo Online. 23 April 2023.
  12. "Preliminary Results: Vetëvendosje and PDK candidates Win Snap Elections in Northern Municipalities". Prishtina Insight. 2023-04-23. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  13. "Debata: Izbori na severu Kosova – za i protiv". Medija Centar, Čaglavica (in Serbian). 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  14. "Kandidatët shqiptarë të gatshëm për marrjen e përgjegjësisë në veri". RTK 1 (in Albanian). 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  15. Taylor, Alice; Zimonjić Jelisavac, Bojana (24 April 2023). "North Kosovo elections trigger harsh words, criticisms from Belgrade". Euractiv. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  16. "Meager Turnout Amid Serb Boycott Of Local Elections In Northern Kosovo". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  17. Bytyci, Fatos (2023-05-26). "US rebukes Kosovo for escalating tensions, Serbia puts army on alert". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  18. "Sirene i suzavac na severu Kosova, Amerika kritikuje Kurtija". BBC News na srpskom (in Serbian (Latin script)). 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  19. "Zastava Kosova postavljena na zgrade opština Leposavić i Zubin Potok". balkans.aljazeera.net (in Bosnian). Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  20. "Kossev: Kosovska zastava postavljena ispred sve četiri opštine na severu". Danas (in Serbian). 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  21. Uz suzavac, gradonačelnici ušli u kancelarije na severu Kosova (in Serbo-Croatian), 2023-05-26, retrieved 2023-05-27
  22. "SAD i EU osudili poteze kosovske vlade, Kvinta zabrinuta i zbog podizanja pripravnosti Vojske Srbije". Glas Amerike (in Serbian). 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
  23. "Nato troops injured in clashes with Serb protesters in Kosovo". The Guardian. Reuters. 2023-05-29. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
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