Vetevendosje Movement led by former Prime Minister Albin Kurti has won more than half of votes in snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, according an exit poll by Gani Bobi Institute.
Early result of Gani Bobi and Albanian Post show that Vetevendosje won 53% of votes, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) with 20%, Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 17%, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) with 7% and the Social Democratic Initiative NISMA with 2%.
No political party has ever won more than half of the popular vote in post-war Kosovo.
Based on this early result, Vetevendosje marked an increase of 101.7% compared to previous parliamentary elections held of 2019, when it had 26,27%.
Ballots sent by voters living abroad were not included in the poll. They may add 2-3 percent to Vetevendosje’s result, according to Baton Haxhiu, the founder of Albanian Post.
Vetevendosje’s leader was banned from running in elections, following a ruling of the Constitutional Court stipulating that no person convicted with a final decision by a Kosovo court in the last three years may be sworn in and serve as an MP.
In 2018, Kurti was convicted for throwing tear gas in Parliament in protest against border demarcation with Montenegro. Vetevendosje claimed that Kosovo lost territory.
Voting polls were closed at 7 pm, while by midnight preliminary results are expected to be published by the Central Election Commission of Kosovo.
