Kozeta Cika contributed to this article
Image by David Liuzzo
The 11th June elections in Kosovo brought big changes to its political situation, due to their outcome. Although the numbering of ballot boxes has not yet expired, which is considered by Kosovo analysts as an a delay, big surprises have been publicized.
In the new elections, VV Movement’s votes have doubled, making it the second winning party, leaving behind the Kosovo Democratic League and its coalition parties.
According to the preliminary results, VV Movement has reached to 189,857 votes or 27.16% so far, providing 31-32 MPs of the Kosovo Assembly, at a time when not all votes have been counted, including those from the diaspora as well.
In spite of the fact that the winning coalition turned out to be comprised of the Kosovo Democratic Party (DPK), the Alliance for Kosovo Future (AAK), and the Kosovo Initiative, (a coalition also involving the Justice Party, Movement Union, Christian Democratic Party, Conservative Party, Kosovo Democratic Alternative, Kosovo Republicans, Balli Party, Social Democratic Party and the National Balli Party), according to the preliminary outcome, VV Movement has won most votes.
The PAN coalition that has united 12 parties in total, has collected only 33.92% of the votes or 237.159 altogether, which gives this coalition no more than 39 MPs.
From the lists published so far, there are only three major coalition parties to share MP seats. According to these unofficial lists, PDK will have only 21 MPs, AAK only 10 and the Initiative Party only 8 MPs. Within this coalition, the Initiative Party of Fatmir Limaj proved to be the most successful, since it managed to increase the number of MPs by two more, in regard to previous elections winning only six MPs.
On the other hand, AAK resulted in one MP less, compared to 11 MPs from 2014 elections, while PDK with 21 MPs, out of 37 in 2014. The coalition between the three parties: PDK, AAK and Kosovo Initiative will have 15 MPs less compared to what these parties got separately in the last legislature. In the sixth legislative period, the first party will be VV Movement with 31 seats; second is LDK with 24, third is PDK with 21, fourth is AAK with 10, fifth is Kosovo Initiative with 8, AKR with 4 and Alternative Party with only 2.
20 seats are reserved for Kosovo minorities. The biggest loser is Kadri Veseli’s Party, which promised a “New Beginning” during the last campaign and meanwhile, after signing the coalition, they handed over the post of prime minister to the Haradinaj party.
PAN Coalition, which for the moment is facing the refusal of VV Movement and LDK for any possible coalition, is not progressing even with Kosovo minorities’ cooperation.
So, they cannot make up the majority of 61 MPs. Whereas PDK, as the “bailout” of this coalition, ended up being ranked the third party in the country, suffering the biggest decline in its history, which is also termed as the end of this party’s era, as it had always been the election winner since 2007.
The 11th of June election outcome was interpreted in different ways. VV was considered as the party that has managed to gather the polling vote against LDK and PDK.
Meanwhile, the outcome for LDK is being regarded as a knockdown, due to the fact that the party refused to be reformed. PAN’s desperate outcome, especially Veseli’s PDK, is being interpreted as the “end of the commanders”. Kadri Veseli, chairman of the Kosovo Democratic Party, who claimed to bring a new spirit within the party through some new feeds, proved to be unsuccessful, questioning the possibility that the PDK succeeds as first winner party.
This election’s message of the VV Movement doubling votes is quite clear. More than anything else, it was a vote for change, punishing the former PDK, LDK or AAK governments or their coalitions.
It still remains unclear who will govern Kosovo, as no party has gained the necessary votes to form the government alone or in the predetermined coalitions. LDK is regarded as the only possible solution to change the current cloudy political situation.
Albin Kurti, Head of VV Movement, wrote on FB: “It is not an option for the Kosovo Democratic League (LDK) to remain in the opposition. By doing this and not cooperating with VV Movement, it simply means to relinquish the goal of removing the Pronto Clan from power and such a resignation does not help the country or the people. When any of the senior LDK officials say they want to be in the opposition, they only encourage some of their coalition MPs, (who can hardly stay in opposition), to go to PAN Coalition. I do not think this is their purpose, but that is the consequence. At the same time, it is not correct for the LDK to consider itself far from VV Movement or PDK, if they still believe that Kosovo continues to be seized by corrupted governments”.
Ahmet Isufi, MP candidate of PDK-AAK-Initiative (PAN) coalition, stated on Klan Kosovo TV that there is no one else who can form Kosovo’s future government, except Ramush Haradinaj as prime minister. These discussions arise from the fact that VV Movement is ranked first as winner, while the largest number of MPs is from PAN coalition.
It remains to be seen who has the right to form the new government in Kosovo.
