2023 Kosovan local elections

Local elections are being 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 postoned.[2] The elections are being held in the four Serb-majority municipalities of Leposavić, North Mitrovica, Zubin Potok and Zvečan, located in North Kosovo.[3] The elections are being 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 from the Serb community. Aleksandar Arsenijević, candidate for mayor of the municipality of North Mitrovica withdrew his candidacy on 2 December.[6][7] Only the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Vetëvendosje (LVV) have 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 Leposavić Aleksandar Jablanović, leader of the Party of Kosovo Serbs (PKS), withdrew up his candidature for running in the upcoming 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 voters out of 45,095 came to them: 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 Withdrawn but still on the ballot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

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). 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.
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