Elections created new political map in municipalities

The major parties that have governed Kosovo in recent years, at both levels of power, have placed serious challenges.

Even though there will be a run-off in most municipalities, analysts claim that evil governance was punished in Kosovo by citizens' votes, while the map of political parties to run through Kosovo municipalities can be accurately known after the runoff.

Based on the preliminary results of the Central Election Commission published on the official page, from 38 Kosovo municipalities to 19 of them, especially in large municipalities, will be headed to the runoff.

Analyst Armendi Muja told Radio Free Europe that if you compare the 2013 2017 local elections, it can be said that the winner comes from the Vetevendosje Movement, as it has doubled support in all municipalities in Kosovo.

While the other political parties have scored a decline, except for the Democratic Party of Kosovo in the Prizren municipality, which has marked an upcoming success and the Democratic League of Kosovo, which has maintained leadership in five or six municipalities.

The “in the second perspective, if viewed in the numeric direction, I believe the overall winner is the Democratic League of Kosovo, for two reasons. The first reason is that somehow, Kosovar voters have rewarded it after a very weak performance at the central level, and the second reason is that those victories in the municipalities that it has kept has generally won”, Muja said.

While the other political analyst, Imer Mushkolaj, considers the October 22nd election has brought neither winners nor losers.

Some political parties, he says, have increased the number of voters from the 2013 local elections, while others have lost.

But, what is seen and matters as far as these elections are concerned, says Mushkolaj, citizens testified that they require better change and governance and management.

“in these choices is not the black and white situation. We can't talk about losers and total winners. Always given the comparison to the results of the 2013 local elections,”.

However, in certain cities some of the parties have achieved more success, some less. If we look at the map of preliminary results, we can say that all political parties are at stake throughout Kosovo”, Mushkolaj told Radio Free Europe.

According to preliminary results, 19 municipalities -- namely larger municipalities -- will go to the runoff for electing mayors of municipalities.

And of the other 19 municipalities, where winners have emerged without a run-off, the Democratic League of Kosovo has won in 4 municipalities, while another 12 have remained in the runoff. In 2013, The LDK in the first round had won three municipalities.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, without a run-off, has won only one municipality, losing even some municipalities known as its strongholds. In the run-off, meanwhile, it is in 9 municipalities. In past local elections, The PDK had won in the first circle in four municipalities.

The country-level Alliance for the Future of Kosovo has managed to win in 2 municipalities, while 5 go to run-off. In 2013, he had 3 municipalities under his leadership.

The Vetevendosje movement so far has not stepped up to win in the first circle in any municipality, but in the runoff it is in 6 municipalities, including the capital Pristina, and several major cities such as Gjilan and Prizren.

The New Kosovo coalition, NISMA and Alternatives are in a run-off in a municipality.

The Serbian List has won 9 municipalities, while in a runoff it is in a municipality.