PRISTINA, May 15 (Balkan View) – Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) on Thursday drew the ballot numbers for political parties competing in the June 7 parliamentary elections, formally opening a new phase of the campaign ahead of a closely watched vote marked by rising political tensions.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s ruling Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV) will compete under number 116, the same number it used in the previous elections.
The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), led by Lumir Abdixhiku, received number 113, while the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), headed by Bedri Hamza, will run under number 125.
The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) drew number 128, while the Social Democratic Party (PSD) received number 129.
Following the draw, party leaders sought to attach political symbolism to their ballot positions.
Abdixhiku described 113 as “the number of unity, recovery and a Republic that believes again,” while Hamza said PDK’s number 125 represented “seriousness, work and dignity.”
Kurti’s Vetëvendosje highlighted that it retained the same number as in the previous elections, presenting it as a sign of political continuity.
The campaign atmosphere has already been overshadowed by escalating rhetoric between political rivals.
Hysni Mehani, head of Vetëvendosje’s branch in Skenderaj, used harsh language to describe a gathering of citizens and the blocking of roads with tractors and trucks outside a police station where Skenderaj mayor Sami Lushtaku was being questioned over allegations related to an attack on Mehani.
Mehani compared the incident to tensions in northern Kosovo and accused Lushtaku of attempting to imitate the methods of Milan Radoičić, the controversial Serb politician linked by Kosovo authorities to armed incidents in the north.
“Sami Lushtaku may imitate Radoičić’s methods in Drenica, but Drenica will never think in Serbian. Until the last breath,” Mehani wrote on social media.
Vetëvendosje has accused Lushtaku of personally attacking Mehani, allegations that Lushtaku has denied.
The June 7 vote comes amid continuing disputes over governance, corruption, relations with Serbia and Kosovo’s efforts to move closer toward European Union integration.
The CEC is expected to publish the final certified list of candidates and parties in the coming days.