No budget for October elections yet

The 2017 budget had planned over 5m euros for holding municipal elections in the country, but these vehicles were taken into use by local authorities to organise early parliamentary elections held in June of this year.

Although three months have been taking place since parliamentary elections have been held, the country's executive has not yet shared the budget needed for organising municipal elections, which will be held on October 22nd this year.

Central Election Commission spokesman (KQZ), Valmir Elesi, has declared to the newspaper “Voice” that they are preparing a final report on the cost of organising early parliamentary elections. According to him, since parliamentary elections have not been planned by budget, then separate means have been used for this year's municipal elections.

Kosovo's “government has decided that budgetary means for municipal elections will be shared during the 2017x1> budget process, Elesi has confirmed.

According to him, for local elections 2017 by this year's Business Law, adopted in the Kosovo Assembly, 6.1m euros have been earmarked.

However, as he says, the exact amount of budget needed for municipal elections is not known without the whole process being completed, as it depends on municipalities going to the runoff.

The process of local elections depends on how many municipalities we will have the second round, that is, the runoff, which is in advance by law. It is noteworthy that in the 2013 local elections, the second round of 25 municipalities out of 38 are totaling” has clarified Elez.

On the other hand, finance ministry officials have stated to the newspaper “Voice” that about 2m euros initially earmarked for municipal elections, which have been used to organise early parliamentary elections, will be compensated for the Central Election Commission during the 2017 budget process.