Recount Risks the Creation of New Institutions

The recount process is under way at the Counting and Results Centre, and, according to CEC officials, it is expected to last between 12 and 14 days, with the orientation deadline by 1 February.

The full-counting decision came after the recount of around one third of the polling sites drew major differences -- from hundreds to thousands of votes for candidates within the same political subjects.

Although the recount is seen as the necessary process for ensuring the integrity of the vote, its duration is directly endangering the constitutional and political deadlines.

Any delay in the certificate of results implies delay in constitutionalising the new Assembly, forming the government and electing the president.

The situation becomes even more sensitive to the fact that the future Assembly has urgent tasks ahead.

At the same time, the election of the president must occur before the end of President Vjosa Osmani's mandate in April, which leaves a very close space.

According to estimates, after the recounting ends, the institutions will have about a month to build the Assembly, formed the government and elected the president -- a deadline seen as extremely short for such a complicated political process.

In this context, full recounting, though important for electoral transparency, is turning into a risk factor for institutional stability, at a moment when the country does not have the luxury of long delays.

Recount of All December 28th Votes

The CEC approved this decision at Monday's collection (19.01.26), following the investigation of major differences during the partial recount of votes.

Initially, the recount was pre-counting to be held in only 10 percent of the locations in 28 municipalities and in a complete ten municipalities.

However, the deviations detected at this stage -- from hundreds to thousands of votes for candidates within the same political subjects -- prompted the CEC to make a decision on full recounting throughout the country.

According to CEC Chairman Kreshnik Radoniqi, the biggest differences have been noted in the Prizren municipality, where the dismissal of political representatives at the Election Commission has been placed.

Large - scale investigation

In parallel with the recounting, justice institutions have initiated concrete actions.

The chief state prosecutor has asked chief prosecutors of the key prosecutors to start investigating in 20 municipalities where the recount has ended.

National Election Co-ordinator, Prosecutor Laura Pula, has requested collecting information and providing relevant evidence for alleged abuses in the election process, both in municipalities where the recount has ended, as well as in those where the process is still under way.

“National Election Co-ordinator, procuro Laura Pula, following the identity of the vote differences during the count of MPs, in different regions of the Republic of Kosovo, has asked the chief prosecutors of all key prosecutors who in all municipalities where the voting recounting process has ended, begin collecting necessary information and providing relevant evidence, proving the conduct of any criminal work that links with the election process”, is said in a statement of the chief State Office.

Likewise, National Election Co-ordinator Laura Pula has demanded that even in municipalities where the vote recount process has not yet been completed since the end of this process is initiated by relevant prosecutors in the process of collecting necessary evidence. ”

The state prosecutor said he would remain committed to protecting the free vote of citizens, and “would investigate any case they suspect is misuse of the vote in any way and by anyone is”./Periscopi/