Elections in Kosovo: 21% of voters in the diaspora voted by 11:00
2025-02-08 12:46:05
TiranaPost
Kosovo citizens living in the diaspora are voting on Saturday at diplomatic missions for the parliamentary elections on February 9. According to the Central Election Commission, as of 11:00, 4,390 people or 21.60 percent of registered voters have voted.
20,324 voters have registered to vote at Kosovo's diplomatic missions. The highest turnout was at the Kosovo Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, where 37.44 percent of the 967 voters registered at two polling stations at this embassy had voted by 11:00.
Meanwhile, the lowest turnout by 11:00 was recorded at the Kosovo Embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia, where out of 55 registered voters, only 6 of them or 10.91 percent voted. Voting began at 07:00 at Kosovo embassies and consulates in European countries, while in the United States and Canada it will begin at 13:00, according to local time in Kosovo.
Voting on February 8th will take place at 43 polling stations in 16 Kosovo embassies and 14 consulates located in 19 different countries around the world. This is the first time that members of the diaspora will be able to physically vote at Kosovo's diplomatic missions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora said that the voting centers were opened without delay. This institution said that it has increased the capacities in diplomatic missions, in order to guarantee a regular voting process. For the parliamentary elections on February 9, over 2 million voters inside and outside Kosovo have the right to vote.
Meanwhile, from January 9 to February 8, the diaspora was also able to vote by mail. The CEC previously announced that 104,934 voters registered to vote outside Kosovo and 84,525 of them chose to vote by mail.
There are 28 political parties and one independent candidate in the race for the new parliamentary composition. Citizens can choose one party and up to ten candidates for deputies. From these votes, the new composition of the Assembly with 120 seats will be chosen and the deputies will then elect the new Government. The current government in Kosovo is led by Albin Kurti, the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement. These are the first regular elections that Kosovo has held since declaring independence in 2008. So far, a series of early elections have been held in the country.
*This article was published by REL and reposted by Tiranapost.al
