A coalition led by the ruling centre-right Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) came first in Kosovo’s snap parliamentary election on Sunday, but it will have to find a coalition partner to form a stable government, results based on a partial vote count showed. With 70 percent of votes counted, the PDK-led coalition had 34.3 percent of votes, the opposition Vetevendosje (VV) party 26.3 percent, and a coalition led by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 25.8 percent, the Democracy in Action non-governmental organization said About 1.9 million Kosovars, nearly half a million of whom live abroad, were registered to vote in the third election since Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
The state election commission put the turnout at 41.5 percent, the lowest since 2008, with many Kosovars frustrated over the lack of economic progress and a deep level of corruption. In 2010 and 2014, it was 48 and 43 percent, respectively.
The biggest surprise was the opposition Vetevendosje party, which was poised to finish second.
“Vetevendosje won these votes because they want to punish the governing parties,” said Ismet Kryeziu, the head of Democracy in Action. “It has to do with the high level of corruption and how the state is run,” he said.
Full Article: Kosovo centre-right coalition on course to win parliamentary vote | Reuters.