Municipal Elections take place in Kosovo as tensions rise with Serbia

Euronews
By Philip Andrew Churm with AP

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti cast his ballot on Sunday as part of municipal elections in which the ruling party is hoping to take control of city hall in Pristina.

About 1.9 million voters are casting ballots to elect mayors for 38 municipalities and some 1,000 town hall lawmakers.

Outside the polling station Mr Kurti said: “Today, citizens will decide who will decide. I encourage all the people of all backgrounds, belongings and wealth to use this moment of equality to use this equal opportunity they have.”

It was a different atmosphere in the north which is populated predominantly by the ethnic Serb minority. Voting there will attract much attention following two incidents in the past two months that have led to soaring tensions between Kosovo and Serbia.

Leaders of Kosovo’s Serbs walked together to the polling station in North Mitrovica.

Serb List coalition leader Goran Rakic and candidate Milan Radojevic cast their votes together in elections that are taking place despite coronavirus.

Officials running the election process must have had at least one shot of vaccine and voters must wear masks. The first results were expected by Sunday midnight, local time.