Voters in Kosovo are heading to the polls for the second round of local elections that are seen as another step in the young republic’s effort to solidify its democratic credentials. The November 19 runoffs are taking place in half of the country’s 38 municipalities – including in the capital, Pristina — where mayors and councilors were not elected in the first round last month. People are also voting in the Serb-majority municipality of Partes, where the Central Election Commission (CEC) annulled the results of the first round following vote manipulations. After casting her ballot in Pristina, CEC chief Valdete Daka urged all registered voters to go to the polls.
“Today’s [vote] is closing the 2017 local elections process,” she said. “I hope that this day passes like the first round — in a democratic and fair spirit. I invite the citizens to exercise their right to vote.”
Election authorities said turnout was nearly 7 percent at 11 a.m. local time, four hours into voting, lower than the 8.8 percent reported at the same time in the first round.
CEC spokesman Valmir Elezi said that “the electoral process is proceeding smoothly.” Police said that a “sufficient number” of officers were deployed to guarantee order and security during the election process.
Full Article: Kosovo Voters Go To Polls In Local Election Runoffs.
