Center-Right Coalition Leading in Kosovo Legislative Vote as 70% Ballots Counted

Kosovo’s center-right coalition is leading with approximately one third of votes in the early parliamentary election after 70 percent of ballots were counted, media reported Monday, citing the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC).

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The center-right coalition brings together of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which is close to Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) of Ramush Haradinaj, the country’s prime minister candidate and former prime minister.

The CEC data also showed that outgoing Prime Minister Isa Mustafa's Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) gained 25.8 percent of votes and was followed by the opposition Self-Determination Movement (VV) with 25 percent of votes.

On Sunday, the citizens of breakaway Kosovo were casting ballots to express support to the preferred political bloc, out of the total of 26 parties and alliances. Kosovo parliament encompasses the total of 120 seats and 20 of them are reserved for the representatives of the ethnic minorities.

On May 10, the Kosovo Assembly voted to dismiss the government of Mustafa in a no-confidence motion, as the current government failed to implement political pledges. The initiative passed with 78 votes in favor, 34 against and three abstentions, paving the way for a snap election. Following the vote, Thaci dissolved the parliament and on May 11, set the date for the early vote.

Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by over 100 UN member states. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.