Elections in Kosovo
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections to the Assembly of Kosovo
' onMouseout='HidePop("33731")' href="/topics/Serbian_language">Serbian
: , transliterated
) have been held three times since 1999 with the latest in November 2007http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8e12741a-347d-11dc-8c78-0000779fd2ac.html. The Assembly is an institution within the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government
(PISG) established by the United Nations administration in Kosovo
to provide 'provisional, democratic self-government' in advance of a decision on the final status of Kosovo. Kosovo
, formerly a province of Serbia
, has been under UN administration since 1999.
Kosovo has held four elections since the Kosovo War
-- municipal elections in 2000 and 2003, and Kosovo-wide elections to the Assembly in 2001, 2004 and 2007. These elections were conducted under international supervision, with the OSCE and other observing groups concluded that these elections were generally fair and free.
Under Kosovo's Constitutional Framework, which established the PISG, elections are to be held every three years for the Assembly. The Assembly then in turn elects a president and prime minister. The Assembly has 200 members elected for a three year term: 100 members elected by proportional representation
, and 20 members representing national minorities (10 Serbian, 4 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian, 3 Bosniak, 2 Turkish and 1 Gorani). Kosovo has a multi-party system, with numerous parties
in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties
must work with each other to form coalition government
s.
. Despite of this Serbia accomplished the local elections in Kosovo 2008 that were not recognized by UNMIK.
The Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija is a local government created by the Serbian
minority in the Kosovo
city of Mitrovica
in response to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
. The first elections for the Assembly took place on May 11, 2008 along with the regular local elections in the rest of Serbia
.
DS is boycotting the Assembly for now, stating that it would wait until the new government is formed in Serbia which would then decide whether the Assembly is a good way of promoting the Kosovan Serbs' issues.
Fatmir Sejdiu
, while UNMIK has said the creations is not a serious issue because it will not have an operative role.
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
' onMouseout='HidePop("33731")' href="/topics/Serbian_language">Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: , transliterated
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
) have been held three times since 1999 with the latest in November 2007http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8e12741a-347d-11dc-8c78-0000779fd2ac.html. The Assembly is an institution within the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government
Provisional Institutions of Self-Government
The Provisional Institutions of Self-Government or 'PISG' are the local administrative bodies in Kosovo established by the United Nations administration in that province under the terms of UNSCR 1244...
(PISG) established by the United Nations administration in Kosovo
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is the interim civilian administration in Kosovo, under the authority of the United Nations. The mission was established on 10 June 1999 by Security Council Resolution 1244...
to provide 'provisional, democratic self-government' in advance of a decision on the final status of Kosovo. Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, formerly a province of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, has been under UN administration since 1999.
Kosovo has held four elections since the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
-- municipal elections in 2000 and 2003, and Kosovo-wide elections to the Assembly in 2001, 2004 and 2007. These elections were conducted under international supervision, with the OSCE and other observing groups concluded that these elections were generally fair and free.
Under Kosovo's Constitutional Framework, which established the PISG, elections are to be held every three years for the Assembly. The Assembly then in turn elects a president and prime minister. The Assembly has 200 members elected for a three year term: 100 members elected by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, and 20 members representing national minorities (10 Serbian, 4 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian, 3 Bosniak, 2 Turkish and 1 Gorani). Kosovo has a multi-party system, with numerous parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
must work with each other to form coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
s.
2010
The final results issued by the Central Election Committee on 30 January 2011 are:Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija
According to UNSC R1244 and UNMIK practice Serbian national referendums and elections for Parliament and President are allowed in Kosovo, but local elections are organized separately by UNMIK and the PISGPisg
pisg, short for Perl IRC Statistics Generator is a popular open-source Internet Relay Chat log file analysis and statistical visualization program. It is written in perl by Morten Brix Pedersen. It analyzes various formats of log files from IRC clients and bots and generates HTML pages containing...
. Despite of this Serbia accomplished the local elections in Kosovo 2008 that were not recognized by UNMIK.
The Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija is a local government created by the Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
minority in the Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
city of Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
in response to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
. The first elections for the Assembly took place on May 11, 2008 along with the regular local elections in the rest of Serbia
Serbian local elections, 2008
Local elections were held in Serbia on 11 May 2008. According to the Constitutional Law adopted by the National Assembly on 30 September 2006 that proclaimed the new constitution, the parliamentary Speaker had to schedule the elections for local administrative units by 31 December 2007. He...
.
Composition
The seats in the Assembly are divided as follows:- Serbian Radical PartySerbian Radical PartyThe Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
– 17 - Democratic Party of SerbiaDemocratic Party of SerbiaThe Democratic Party of Serbia is a political party in Serbia.-Foundation:The Democratic Party of Serbia was founded when a faction of the Democratic Party that supported its involvement in the Democratic Movement of Serbia split from the party and formed their own in 1992.Soon after the March...
– 13 - Socialist Party of SerbiaSocialist Party of SerbiaThe Socialist Party of Serbia is officially a democratic socialist political party in Serbia. It is also widely recognized as a de facto Serbian nationalist party, though the party itself does not officially acknowledge this...
– 4 - Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (Serbia)The Democratic Party is a political party in Serbia. It is described as a social liberal or social democratic party.-Pre-war history:The Democratic Party was established on 16 February 1919 from unification of Sarajevo parties independent radicals, progressives, liberals and the Serbian part of...
– 3 - G17 PlusG17 PlusG17 Plus , abbreviated to G17+, is a centre-right political party in Serbia. With 22 seats in the National Assembly, it is the third-largest party, and currently participates in a coalition with, amongst others, the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party...
– 1 - Civic Initiative of GoraCivic Initiative of GoraThe Civic Initiative of Gora is a Gorani political party in Kosovo.In the legislative elections on 24 October 2004, the party won 0.2% of the popular vote and 1 out of 120 seats...
– 1 - Others – 4
DS is boycotting the Assembly for now, stating that it would wait until the new government is formed in Serbia which would then decide whether the Assembly is a good way of promoting the Kosovan Serbs' issues.
International response
The elections which are basis for the Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija were not recognized by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) or the Republic of Kosovo. The creation of the parliament has been condemned as an act aimed at destabilizing Kosovo by Kosovar presidentPresident of Kosovo
The President of the Republic of Kosovo is Head of State of the disputed Republic of Kosovo. The President of Kosovo is elected by the Assembly of Kosovo. The first post-war president, who served until his death in January 2006, was Ibrahim Rugova. His successor was Fatmir Sejdiu. When Sejdiu...
Fatmir Sejdiu
Fatmir Sejdiu
Fatmir Sejdiu is a politician from Kosovo. He was the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo and was the first President of the Republic of Kosovo.-Early life and education:...
, while UNMIK has said the creations is not a serious issue because it will not have an operative role.
See also
- Electoral calendar
- Electoral system
- List of politicians in Kosovo
- List of political parties in Kosovo