Exit polls put Vetëvendosje ahead as turnout falls sharply
PRISTINA, June 7 (BV)– Kosovo began counting votes on Sunday after snap parliamentary elections marked by low turnout and early results showing Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje in the lead, but with opposition parties narrowing the gap.
According to preliminary data from more than 1,000 counted ballot boxes, Vetëvendosje led with 41.24%, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo with 21.93% and the Democratic League of Kosovo with 18.08%.
Earlier exit polls also projected Vetëvendosje as the winner, giving Kurti’s party around 42% of the vote, ahead of PDK with 21.6% and LDK with 17%.
The Central Election Commission said turnout by 5 p.m. stood at 27.87%, or 546,185 voters. That was sharply lower than in previous parliamentary elections, when turnout at the same time was around 39%.
Kurti called on citizens to vote after casting his ballot, saying the country’s future would be decided by those who took part in the process.
PDK leader Bedri Hamza urged institutions, commissioners and observers to ensure every vote is counted carefully and respected.
AAK leader Ardian Gjini also appealed for a fair count, saying past mistakes should not be repeated.
The vote comes amid political instability in Kosovo and continued pressure from international partners for institutional stability and progress in dialogue with Serbia.