Kosovo votes in municipal elections, focus at Pristina race

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo is holding municipal elections Sunday successful which the left-wing enactment that has been successful authorities for 8 months is aiming to seizure the metropolis hallway of the capital, Pristina.

About 1.9 cardinal voters are casting ballots to elite mayors for 38 municipalities and immoderate 1,000 municipality hallway lawmakers. Preliminary results are expected by midnight. In erstwhile polls galore of the communes person gone to runoffs, which instrumentality spot successful a month’s time.

The main contention volition beryllium for Pristina City Hall for which the governing left-wing Self-Determination Party, oregon Vetevendosje!, has nominated its erstwhile wellness minister, Arben Vitia.

Voting successful the northbound populated predominantly by the taste Serb number volition pull overmuch attraction pursuing 2 incidents successful the past 2 months that person led to soaring tensions betwixt Kosovo and Serbia.

Earlier this week, Kosovo constabulary clashed with taste Serbs during an anti-smuggling operation, and past period an contented implicit conveyance licence plates was resolved lone aft mediation from the European Union and the United States. The NATO-led Kosovo Force, oregon KFOR, deployed troops to the borderline area, ending the spat.

Kosovo declared independency from Serbia successful 2008 but Serbia doesn’t admit the move.

Elections are taking spot during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a pugnacious trial for the radical and authorities. Officials moving the predetermination process indispensable person had astatine slightest 1 changeable of vaccine, portion voters indispensable deterioration masks. Election teams are taking the ballot container to the homes of radical who are presently affirmative for the virus.