Berisha: Diaspora in the US very interested in Kosovo elections, will focus on individuals in local elections

The head of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America VATRA, Elmi Berisha, believes that the Kosovo diaspora in the United States will vote in the local elections in Kosovo on October 12, despite the differences between local and parliamentary contests. At the local level, he says, people will choose individuals who are more qualified, looking at what they have previously done and how successful they have been.

“Voting for a party would not be the right approach in local elections,” Berisha told Kosovo Online.

He emphasized that the diaspora should vote and has the right to do so because it “gives a large part of its life and contribution to the country” and drives the economy not only of Kosovo, but also of Albania and even North Macedonia.

According to him, Albanians in the diaspora, in America and elsewhere, are very hardworking and successful people.

“Sometimes I say this not as a joke, but because I truly believe it: Albanians from Kosovo have their own World Bank within themselves. They just need to realize how to put it together and use it,” he said.

He also pointed out that corruption is the “number one issue” the diaspora considers.

“In the last elections, and the ones before, over the past three years, there has been huge interest from the diaspora. I don’t want to point fingers at any particular government, but in the Balkans in earlier times, some governments made it a little harder for the diaspora to vote. It is confusing, and with postal voting, ballots can get lost, and sometimes, unfortunately, even abused. The diaspora wants to see a future in Kosovo. It wants to see light at the end of the tunnel, peace coming, and it will make a big difference,” Berisha said.

He stressed that Kosovo and the region must stabilize, and that it is very important to recognize the diaspora’s existence and the need to live alongside neighbors, no matter how difficult or conflict-ridden relations may be.

“We must understand that we have to make peace even with Serbia. Kosovo has excellent relations with its other neighbors, but with Serbia we must find a way to move forward, to integrate together, because neither Serbia nor Kosovo will be integrated on their own in the way we truly need, to ensure a better future and prosperity,” the head of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America VATRA said.