The February 9 parliamentary
elections in Kosovo will be monitored by a mission of 100 EU
observers. As it was learned in Pristina today, the mission will
be led by French MEP Nathalie Loiseau, for whom this mission
confirms "the EU's continued support for Kosovo to strengthen
its democratic governance." According to local ngos, the
election campaign, which began on Jan. 11, is characterized by
strenuous political fighting and incitements to hatred. The four
candidates for prime minister-the outgoing premier Albin Kurti
of the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) movement, Bedri Hamza
of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (Pdk), Lumir Abdixhiku of the
Democratic League of Kosovo (Ldk), and Ramush Haradinaj of the
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (Aak)-have focused their
energies on internal political strife and constant accusations
against each other. Numerous analysts and observers are looking
at these elections as a showdown for PM Kurti and his party amid
high instability amid high tensions with the Serb minority in
the country. None of the candidates leading the new government
have made normalization of relations with Serbia among their
main commitments in their program. This is an increasingly live
and burning issue in light of the growing inter-ethnic
confrontation, exacerbated by the recent closure of dozens of
Serbian offices and institutions in Kosovo, whose activities are
deemed illegal by Pristina.
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