Parliamentary election in Kosovo 2007

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Share of voters in percent
 %
50
40
30th
20th
10
0
34.3
22.6
12.3
10
9.6
4.1
7.1
Otherwise.
Gains and losses
compared to 2004
 % p
 15th
 10
   5
   0
  -5
-10
-15
-20
-25
+5.4
-22.8
+12.3
+8.2
+1.2
-2.1
-2.2
Otherwise.
10
35
25th
37
13
10 35 25th 37 13 
A total of 120 seats
  • AAK : 10
  • Otherwise: 35
  • LDK : 25
  • PDK : 37
  • AKR : 13

The 2007 parliamentary elections in Kosovo were the third since the end of the war in Kosovo and took place on November 17th of that year. The Kosovo Parliament was at that time one of the provisional self-government institutions ( English Provisional Institutions of Self-Government , shortly PISG ) of the former southern Serbian province, which the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo had been established (UNMIK).

The elections were scheduled for September 1, 2007 by UN special envoy and UNMIK boss Joachim Rücker . Local and mayoral elections also took place at the same time. The latter were directly elected for the first time. A five percent hurdle was also used for the first time.

100 members of parliament, 920 representatives in the municipal councils and 30 mayors were elected. As usual, 20 seats in parliament were reserved for the minorities.

Parties standing for election

The lists participating in the election were recorded on the ballot papers as follows:

31. Savez Nesavisnih Socijaldemokrata Kosova i Metohije - SNSDKiM (Serbian)
34. Iniciativa e Re Demokratike e Kosovës - IRDK ( Kosovar -Egyptian)
38. Srpska Narodna Stranka - SNS (Serb.)
39. Balli Kombëtar - BK (Albanian)
40. Naser Kuka (alb.)
41. Srpska Kosovsko Metohijska Stranka - SKMS (serb.)
42nd PSS za Kosovo i Metohiju - Bogoljub Karić (Serbian)
50th Partia Demokratike e Ashkalinjve të Kosovës - PDAK (Ashkali)
54. Građanska Inicijativa Gore - GIG (Goran)
58th Partia Reformiste ORA - ORA (alb.)
61. Aleanca Kosova e Re - AKR (alb.)
63. Cemil Luma (Turkish)
69. Opstanak Kosovskog Pomoravlja - OKP (Serbian)
71st Democratic Party of Kosovo - PDK (alb.)
75. Lëvizja Kombëtare për Çlirimin e Kosovës - LKÇK (alb.)
76th Alliance for the Future of Kosovo - AAK (alb.)
79th Kosova Demokratie Türk Partisi - KDTP (Turkish)
86th Party of Democratic Action - SDA (Bosniak)
89th Democratic League of Kosovo - LDK (alb.)
95. Nova Demokratieija - ND (Serbian)
99. Samostalna Liberalna Stranka - SLS (serb.)
100th Koalicija Vakat ( Coalition of Bosniak Parties)
109. Serb Democratic Party Kosova i Metohije - SDSKiM (serb.)
117th LDD - PSHDK (Coalition of Two Albanian Parties)
118th Partia Rome e Bashkuar e Kosovës - PREBK (Roma)
123. Partia e Drejtësisë - PD (alb.)
See also: List of political parties in Kosovo

voter turnout

The approximately 120,000 members of the Serbian ethnic group in Kosovo did not take part in the election. They followed a call for a boycott from Belgrade (including by the Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica ). In some areas in northern Kosovo where the majority of Serbs live , the polling stations remained completely closed.

The turnout was just 42.8 percent. MEP Doris Pack , who was on site as an election observer on behalf of the Council of Europe , described this low turnout as alarming. It should be seen as an expression of the disappointment of the population.

Result

After the Democratic Party (PDK) was established as the strongest force with 34 percent after the votes were almost completely counted, its top candidate, the former UÇK fighter Hashim Thaçi , declared himself the winner and announced that Kosovo would soon declare independence. The Democratic League (LDK) of President Fatmir Sejdiu came in second with 22.6 percent - the party, which had achieved 45% in 2003, was one of the biggest losers in the election. In addition to the two mentioned, three other parties made the leap over the five percent hurdle : these were the Aleanca Kosova e Re (AKR), the Democratic League of Dardania (LDD) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). Due to the special right to vote, minority parties that achieved less than five percent of the vote also entered parliament.

Result of the elections to the parliament of Kosovo in 2007
Political party Absolute votes Percentage votes Seats won Change from 2004
PDK 196.207 34.3 37 +7
LDK 129,410 22.6 25th −16
AKR 70.165 12.3 13 +13
LDD-PSHDK 57.002 10.0 11 +5
AAK 54,611 9.6 10 +3
ORA 23,722 4.1 0 −7
PD 9,890 1.7 0 ± 0
Others
(including minority parties) 		30,760 5.4 24 ± 0
total 628.630 100.0 120 ± 0
Distribution of seats in the minority parties in 2007
Political party Ethnicity Seats won
KDTP Turks 3
PDAK Ashkali 3
Koalicija Vakat Bosniaks 3
SLS Serbs 3
SDSKiM Serbs 3
SDA Bosniaks 2
SNS Serbs 1
Nova Demokratija Serbs 1
GIG Gorans 1
SKMS Serbs 1
IRDK Kosovar Egyptians 1
SNSDKiM Serbs 1
PREBK Roma 1
total 24

Government formation

As expected, Hashim Thaçi was elected new Prime Minister by the PDK on January 9th . It received 85 votes in favor, 22 against and four abstentions. In addition to the second largest party, the LDK, parties from ethnic minorities in Kosovo are also involved in the government. The PDK received seven ministerial posts, the LDK five. Of the three remaining ministerial posts, the Serbian SLS received two. The General Secretary of the PDK, Jakup Krasniqi , was elected President of Parliament.

After his election, Thaçi declared that the main task of his government was to build an independent Kosovar state. The declaration of independence will take place in the first half of 2008.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Official final results from the KQZ ( Memento from February 26, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF)
  2. ↑ Parliamentary election for an uncertain future ( Spiegel Online , November 17, 2007)
  3. ↑ [1] Election observers in Kosovo: good marks for process, but disappointment about participation (press release of the European Parliament , November 19, 2007)
  4. ↑ Ex-Kosovo fighter claims victory ( BBC , November 18, 2007)
  5. ↑ Results of the election commission ( Memento of December 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 439 kB)