Prosecution launches investigation into postal voting

The Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina has launched investigations regarding the postal voting process for the February 9 parliamentary elections.

The announcement of the launch of the investigation comes after the ruling party, Vetevendosje Movement, claimed that there were manipulations in the postal voting orchestrated by the opposition entity, the Democratic League of Kosovo.

"The Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina has authorized the Kosovo Police to collect and verify information. However, at this stage of the procedure, more detailed details cannot be provided because the investigative process could be compromised," Kaltrina Shala from the Communication Office at the Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina told Radio Free Europe.

The Vetëvendosje Movement had requested from the Electoral Panel for Complaints and Submissions the cancellation of nearly 19,000 LDK postal votes and a repeat of the vote, due to allegations of electoral manipulation. However, the ECAP rejected the request.

Officials from the Vetëvendosje Movement had previously said that they had also sent the evidence they said supported their claims of election manipulation to the Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina.

The party argued that some LDK candidates received far more votes by mail than in the voting within Kosovo. The LVV also said that the postal voting took place “in a manipulated form, massively and collectively organized by the same people with the same pen, the same color and the same hands.”

The LDK has rejected LVV's accusations, saying that they are being made "only because they don't like the result."

This party, on the other hand, has accused LVV of manipulating votes in diplomatic missions, but also by mail.

Kosovo is waiting for the deadline for reviewing complaints from political parties and entities to the Supreme Court to be completed, in order to certify the election results and pave the way for the formation of new institutions.

According to the final results, announced on March 15, the Vetëvendosje Movement came first with over 390,000 votes or 42.30 percent. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) came second with over 190,000 votes, or 20.95 percent, followed by the LDK with over 170,000 votes, or 18.27 percent.

In fourth place is the coalition between the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Social Democratic Initiative with over 66,000 votes or 7.06 percent.

The Serbian List – the largest Serb party in Kosovo – secured over 39,000 votes or 4.26 percent. (A2 Televizion)