Prime Minister Albin Kurti's ruling "Self-Determination" party won the parliamentary elections in Kosovo with 39.8 percent of the vote, Politico reports.
"Everything went according to plan, Kurti said after the elections. We won and this is confirmation of a good, prosperous and democratic government. There has never been such a war as the one against this government, Kurti said after the elections. With oligarchs who give money without accounting, and with an opposition that makes deals even with the devil against our government. Even though they lost again, they will remain the opposition because they do not want what is good for either the state or the people."
The right-wing Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK) finished in second place with 21.8 percent, followed by the center-right Democratic League (DLK) with 18.1 percent and the left-wing nationalist coalition AAK-Nisma with 7.6 percent.
Exit poll results also pointed to a victory for Kurti.
Earlier, Kurti said that he would not cooperate with any of the opposition parties.
We recall that the authorities in Kosovo noted the low voter turnout and incidents of violence. It became clear that there were also those arrested for campaigning.
However, the CEC noted that election day had proceeded normally.
The elections were seen as a test for the prime minister.
Negotiations to normalize relations with Serbia remain stalled, and foreign funding for one of the poorest countries in Europe is in question.
Parties made big campaign promises to increase public wages and pensions, improve education and health services, and combat poverty. But they did not explain where the money would come from or how they would attract more foreign investment.
Despite being crucial to the stability of the region, negotiations with Serbia are not high on any party's agenda.
The roughly two million eligible voters, including those from the diaspora, were electing 120 deputies from 26 political groups and one independent candidate. The Serb minority has 10 guaranteed seats, while another 10 are for other minorities.
Kosovars abroad began voting on Saturday at 43 diplomatic missions. About 20,000 diaspora voters out of nearly 100,000 cast their ballots at the missions, while the rest cast their votes by mail.
This is the first time since independence in 2008 that Kosovo's parliament has completed a full four-year term. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence.
Kosovo's Central Election Commission (CEC) has decided that the largest Kosovo Serb party, the "Serb List", will participate in the parliamentary elections. The decision was made after days of tension, debate and legal disputes between the ruling majority and the opposition in Kosovo.
The "Self-Determination" movement was considered the favorite, but was not expected to win the necessary majority to govern alone, leaving open the possibility that the other two contenders could join the ranks if it fails to form a cabinet. The "Serb List" has been accused of continuing to view Kosovo as a Serbian province and refusing to recognize its independence, which was declared in 2008. This has led to ongoing conflicts between Kosovo Serbs, who are supported by Belgrade, and the Albanian majority in Kosovo.
Kosovo, with a population of 1.6 million, is one of the poorest countries in Europe, with an annual gross domestic product of less than 6,000 euros per person.
Kosovo has also suffered after Washington imposed a 90-day freeze on funding for various projects through the United States Agency for International Development, which has been key to boosting the country's growth. The United States has invested 1.9 billion euros in Kosovo since 1999, including more than a billion euros in investments from USAID.
Kurti has been at odds with Western powers over some of his cabinet's actions last year, such as a ban on the use of the Serbian dinar and transfers from Serbia to Kosovo citizens who rely on social services and payments. Washington, Brussels and the NATO-led KFOR stabilisation force have urged the government in Pristina to refrain from unilateral action, fearing a resurgence of inter-ethnic conflict.
The EU suspended funding for some projects almost two years ago. Brussels has already set conditions for the gradual lifting of the temporary measure, linked to Kosovo taking steps to de-escalate tensions in the north, where the majority of the Serb minority lives.
"The EU expects Kosovo's new government to engage constructively in the normalisation dialogue with Serbia. This is central to the integration path of Serbia and Kosovo," a European Commission spokesman told the AP.
Both the EU and the United States have urged both sides to implement agreements reached two years ago, which include a commitment by Kosovo to create an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. Serbia is also expected to implement de facto recognition of Kosovo.
The two countries have been embroiled in years of tensions over everything from passports and car registrations to local elections to violent incidents.
KFOR has increased its presence in Kosovo since last year's tensions and added more for the parliamentary elections.
A team of 100 observers from the European Union, 18 from the Council of Europe and dozens more from international and local organizations will monitor the vote.