CEC: The mayoral candidate must be resident of that municipality at least 3 years

The mayoral candidate must have been in the municipality for at least three years, in which he/she seeks to compete.

This is one of the additional conditions required for mayoral candidates, in addition to those conditions stemming from Article 30 of the General Election Law.

CEC spokesman Valmir Elezi has explained to Economy Online that the demand to be at least 3 years resident of the municipality is required by the Law on Local Elections.

“Other than the conditions required to be met under Article 30 of the General Election Law, at Article 9, paragraph 2 of the Local Elections Law is required that the mayoral candidate of the municipality have been in the municipality for at least three years, in which he/she is competing to be elected as head of the municipality”, Elez said.

Otherwise, according to Article 30 of the Law for General Elections, a person cannot be certified as candidate if he/he is official with special status on the basis of the Law in force for public officials; foreign service member and diplomatic representative; chairman or CEC member and the Municipal Election Commission; official of PZAP; through the court's decision, including PZAP's decision, has been denied the right to be a candidate; it has been sentenced in the last three years to a formal criminal offense, to one or more years in effective prison; it has failed to pay the fine imposed by PZAP, or the CEC; or has failed to abide by any PZAP order.

For all these restrictions, the CEC will seek the verifiation of candidates from various state institutions.

The deadline for application of political subjects will last 49 days, starting from 26 June to 13 August 2025. According to Elez, it is in the will of political subjects to decide the number of municipalities in which they will compete.

“Starting from 26 June to 13 August 2025, political parties, coalitions, civic initiatives and independent candidates can present to the CEC, the Office for Registering, Certificate and Financial Control of Political Subjects, their request to be certified for participation in the Commissionary Elections and Municipal Frameworks elections, respectively, which will be held on October 12th 2025. During this period, political subjects must also hand over their lists, with the names of candidates for the Communist Mayor and the Communist Assembly. It is entirely in the will of political subjects to determine in which municipalities they want to compete. Also, it is in the will of political subjects to choose whether in a certain municipality they will compete only in elections for the Comune Mayor or for the Municipal Assembly, or for both”, Elesi said.

On June 9th, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani scheduled October 12th 2025 for holding Local Elections for Communist Speakers and Communist Countries. /Periscopi/