PRISTINA (Kosovo), March 4 (SeeNews) – Kosovo's opposition Self-Determination Movement (VV) led by ousted former Prime Minister Albin Kurti has won the February 14 snap elections, garnering 49.95% of all votes, final official results showed on Thursday.
Boosted by its alliance with the Citizen List party led by acting president Vjosa Osmani, VV will hold 58 of 120 seats in parliament, according to the final results released by the Central Election Commission.
Opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) came in second with 16.90% of the votes giving it 19 seats.
The governing Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) followed with 12.65%, or 15 seats.
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) came in fourth with 7.08%, or 8 seats.
The ethnic Serb party Serb List is fifth on 5.06% of the votes. It will control ten out of ten seats reserved for the Serb minority in Kosovo.
A total of 20 seats in Kosovo's parliament are reserved for minorities.
The future government needs to be endorsed by at least 61 members of parliament.
In June, the parliament elected a coalition government led by Avdullah Hoti of LDK with the votes of 61 MPs. However, in December the Constitutional Court said one of the votes - that of Etem Arifi, MP of the Ashkali Party for Integration - was invalid because Arifi had been convicted in 2019. Thus, the government was not backed by a majority in parliament, the court said, adding that the cabinet will remain in office until new elections are held.
VV's Kurti won the previous election held on October 6, 2019 and in early 2020 he was elected PM after forming a coalition government with LDK. However, in March 2020, the coalition government lost a no-confidence vote requested by LDK, after less than two months in office.
Kosovo, considered to be a potential candidate for EU membership by the European Commission, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has so far has been recognised by more than half of the 193 UN member states. Belgrade does not recognise Kosovo's independence.