In his analysis, Krasniqi appreciated the performance of the three main parties:
Vetevendosje (VV)
Despite the big investment, VV did not have “satisfactory” results, winning only 3 of the 12 municipalities in the first round. However, it marked a slight increase in voting compared to four years ago. Krasniqi stressed that VV has begun to realize that local victory is achieved with strong local figures.
Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK)
According to him, the PDK marked a decline in the vote, which is attributed to the “Battle between each other”, citing the case of Drenas, a traditional PDK stronghold.
Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK)
“The LDK has not achieved a satisfactory result, but has managed to retain its vote mainly in Pristina, despite the fierce battle with Vetevendosje,” Krasniqi said.
Ballose, Prishtina and Mitrovica Essential
According to Lirim Krasniqi, the second round race will focus on the runoff in two key municipalities: Prishtina and Mitrovica.
According to him, the battle between VV and PDK is extremely narrow, with a slight advantage for the PDK.
Krasniqi underlined that Pristina is also a crucial race for both sides.
Krasniqi mentioned that if Vetevendosje manages to win both of these municipalities in the runoff, it may be considered a general winner of the elections. In contrast, if it loses both, its result will be pale.
“The second round race will focus on Pristina and Mitrovica. If VV wins these two municipalities may be the winner of the elections, but it may lose both of them. Participation is low compared to parliamentary elections, but there is an increase compared to the local elections of 4 years ago.” Krasniqi said.
The analyst also noted that voting was low compared to parliamentary elections, but higher than the local elections four years ago.
