Maliqi: It cannot be said which party is most prepared for elections, PDK has preserved its voter base

Political analyst Shkelzen Maliqi said, following yesterday’s failed attempt to form a new government and the increasing likelihood of parliamentary elections by the end of the year, that it cannot be said which party is most prepared for the elections, but that local voting showed the Democratic Party of Kosovo has preserved its voter base, suggesting it could again come second in the general elections.

“I think the Democratic Party of Kosovo fared the best in the local elections, it preserved its standard voter base. They have around 120,000 voters, which is a guarantee that they may once again be at least the second party in the general elections,” Maliqi told Kosovo Online.

He noted that the Self-Determination Movement and Albin Kurti are in decline.

“How deep that decline will be – I don’t know. They have acted in a demagogic, populist manner and are now trying to present the crisis as if the opposition is blocking them. In a way, it is true that the LDK is responsible, since Lumir Abdixhiku said from the start that he would not form a coalition with anyone, and without him it was impossible to form one. There might be a chance if Kurti calms down a bit and enters talks with the PDK – that coalition could be possible in the future, but we will have to wait and see,” Maliqi said.

He emphasized that it is not possible to determine which party is the most prepared for parliamentary elections.

“The Democratic Party of Kosovo will have the most stable voter base, and perhaps it is worth waiting for the second round of local elections to see the results. There are about 12 municipalities where Self-Determination is first or second, and it has a small chance of winning maybe two or three more municipalities. The main battles will be for Pristina and Mitrovica. Kurti has invested heavily in Mitrovica, and if he loses there, and there is a chance he will also lose in Pristina, he will be left with very little power at the local level,” Maliqi said.

Judging by the current situation, Maliqi believes it is most likely that Kosovo will hold parliamentary elections in December.