Candidates for MP under multiple verification

The announcement of the election date followed the publication of the Constitutional Court's full justice, which found that the election of the Government of Kosovo, led by Avdullah Hoti, had been made unconstitutionally.

The trial is said to be a person convicted of criminal offence with a formal form judicial decision in the last three years, cannot be a candidate for MP, nor a valid mandate in the Kosovo Assembly. For the government, Hoti had voted Etem Arifi, against whom there was a penalty form for criminal action “subsidies” with sentences of more than a year.

All candidates will now undergo the verification process.

Central Election Commission spokesman Valmir Elezi tells Radio Free Europe that all plans have been made and that there is no delay expected in this process of verification.

“In order to implement the Constitutional Court and the Law Act for General Elections, the Central Election Commission will co-operate with several institutions that have their role in developing the application period, the Certificate of political subjects and their candidates”, Elez says.

Elez explains that after they have accepted the answers to verification by relevant institutions, the Office for the census will present in the CEC recommendations for the approval or rejection of the certificate of political subjects and candidates.

“If any political subject or candidate is not certified, he could file a complaint to the Electoral Panel for Anxiety and Parashtre. The issue could go up to the Supreme Court if the side might be dissatisfied with the PZAP decision. The CEC will act according to decisions stemming from those institutions”, Elez explains.

The Central Election Commission has indicated that the period of complaints is envisioned to be concluded by 31 January, so that February 2nd the withdrawal of lots for the ranking of political subjects in the balloting of these elections will become possible.

“Based on the operational plan approved by the CEC, we expect answers to the candidates' verification from the institutions I mentioned earlier, until January 20th, as on the basis of this plan it is envisioned that lists with the candidates' names are submitted on January 18,”, Elez points out.

The other side, in a written answer, the Kosovo Judiciary Council says the “Kosovo Judiciary Council, if there will be a request from the CEC, then these information will be provided in the previous deadline required by them”.

Political subjects, coalitions, civic initiatives and independent candidates, according to the CEC, can apply to be certified for participating in the election by January 16th, at 6:00.

Under the Law for General Elections in Kosovo, each person whose name is presented on the voters' list is eligible for a certificate as a candidate, unless he or she is a judge or a prosecutor in Kosovo or elsewhere, a member of the Kosovo Security Force, a member of the Kosovo Customs Service, a member of the Kosovo Agency for Intelligence, leader of an independent agency, diplomatic representative, head or KEC member, a member of the CEC PZAP, member of the Municipal Election Commission, member of the armed forces of any state, member of a police force or a similar body, convicted of criminal offence with a final court ruling in three (3) last years and more.

With the Constitutional decision, the question of running the leadership of Vetevendosje, Albin Kurti, in the upcoming elections has been currentised.
Kurti, along with the then deputies of the Vetevendosje Movement Albulen Haxhiu, Faton Topalli and Donika Cadaj-Bujupi on 3 January, 2018 have been sentenced on condition for throwing tear gas into Kosovo's Assembly environments.

Vetevendosje leader Albulen Haxhiu said on January 6th that in the new elections, the list of this party will lead Kurti.