PRISTINA, FEB 10 (AFP/APP/DNA):Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s ruling party appeared set to secure the most seats in Kosovo’s parliamentary elections Sunday but it remained uncertain whether he stood a chance of forming a majority government.
Sunday’s contest largely pitted Kurti’s quest to stamp out Serbian influence on Kosovo’s soil during his time as premier against the opposition’s vow to boost the economy in one of the poorest pockets of Europe.
Without a single party winning a clear majority in the 120-seat parliament, Kosovo would likely be headed for days, if not weeks, of coalition talks and political horse-trading.
Twenty seats are reserved for minority parties, including 10 for Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs.
A projection published by leading Kosovo news outlet KOHA said Kurti’s Vetevendosje (“Self-Determination”) party (VV) was leading the race with an estimated 42 percent of votes.
The right-wing Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) trailed in second with 21 percent followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 20 percent.
Kosovo’s election commission said software designed to help tally the vote had malfunctioned, forcing officials to hand count ballots.
The commission said no preliminary data would be released in the coming hours.
Long-time rivals the PDK and LDK have partnered to form coalition governments on multiple occasions since the independence war from Serbia in the late 1990s, following mediation and pressure from the international community.
In the run-up to Sunday’s vote, Kurti hinted that he would prefer to enter opposition if his party was unable to form a majority government by itself.
Hours after the polls closed, Kurti told journalists VV planned to form a government.
“Without any hesitation, we will form a government,” said Kurti.
“Congratulations on our victory,” he told supporters.
Election officials said turnout for the vote was around 40 percent.
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