Kosovan local elections, 2007

Municipal elections were held in Kosovo on November 17 2007, at the same time as elections to the Assembly of Kosovo, with a second round for the mayoral elections held on 2007-12-08. [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=12&dd=03&nav_id=45891 B92 - News - Politics - Thaci finds partner at municipal level ] ] The date was originally set for September 1 2007 by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Joachim Rücker (head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo). [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/31D64436-2C1B-48DD-B945-6BCACB2388EC.htm Al Jazeera English - News - Un Announces Kosovo Elections ] ]

The elections were held in Kosovo's thirty municipalities, and for the first time, local mayors were directly elected. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=09&dd=01&nav_category=93&nav_id=43422 B92 - News - Politics - UNMIK sets date for Kosovo elections ] ]

Joachim Rücker decided not to officially recognise the election results in mainly Serb-populated municipalities where Albanians were elected due to the Serb election boycott. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=12&dd=05&nav_id=45951 B92 - News - Politics - Ruecker: No change in Serb municipalities ] ]

Main contenders

Three Kosovo Serb lists registered for the election very early: [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=09&dd=15&nav_category=93&nav_id=43776 B92 - News - Politics - 13 Serb lists in Kosovo ballots ] ]
*Multi-Ethnic Council of Plemetin
*Kosovo Movement
*Civil Initiative for Novo Brdo and Zubin Potok

In total, 50 lists participated the elections. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=11&dd=12&nav_id=45331 B92 - News - Politics - Thaci: West will recognize Kosovo independence ] ] Many of the lists participating in the local elections were Serbian, as opposed to the parliamentary elections, where only eight Serbian lists participated. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=11&dd=13&nav_id=45362 B92 - News - Politics - Partial Serb participation in Kosovo vote ] ]

Alliances

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, which won the Assembly election, and the New Kosovo Alliance agreed in early December 2007, prior to the second round of the elections, to form coalitions at the local level wherever possible.

Results

The results of the mayoral elections in the thirty municipalities were as follows:
*Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK): 17 mayors
*Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK): 7 mayors
*Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK): 3 mayors

Due to the Kosovan Serbs' election boycott, no run-off election was held in Leposavić, Zubin Potok and Zvečan. [ [http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/12/10/nb-05 PDK wins second round of Kosovo local elections (SETimes.com) ] ]

According to the final results, party control of the municipal councils is as follows: [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=12&dd=15&nav_id=46194 B92 - News - Politics - Kosovo election results announced ] ]
*Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK): 14 municipal council presidents
*Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK): 6 municipal council presidents
*Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK): 3 municipal council presidents

Turnout in the second round was 31%.

* [http://www.cec-ko.org/al/informacione/materiale/rezultatet/kryetarekomune.pdf Basic official results]
* [http://www.cec-ko.org/al/informacione/materiale/rezultatet/kryetarekomunedetajizuara.pdf Detailed official results]
* [http://www.cec-ko.org/al/informacione/materiale/rezultatet/rezultatetperkryetarekomune2007%2012%2008.pdf Preliminary run-off results]

External links

* [https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=CG(14)34REP&Language=lanEnglish Council of Europe observers' report on the elections]

Notes