Vetevendosje wins mayoral race in Podujeva

English

Gazeta Express

29/11/2020 22:38

The Vetevendosje candidate Shpejtim Bulliqi has won the mayoral elections in Podujeva. Bulliqi received 51.64 percent of the vote in the first round of snap mayoral election on Sunday avoiding a runoff, the Central Elections Commission (CEC) has announced.

The Vetevendosje’s win ends a 20-year era of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) administering this municipality. Bulliqi was part of the LDK until 2018 and held important positions within the municipality of Podujeva but decided to join the Vetevendosje and run under their logo. He beat acting mayor Nexhmi Rudari of LDK. This is seen as a major loss for the LDK who consider Podujeva as their “stronghold.” Former mayor of this municipality who resigned in February to take the position of minister of Interior, Agim Veliu, addressing media accepted the defeat. “We have lost the election,” he said.  

The election race in Podujeva was more a race between the Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti and Veliu rather than a race between the two mayoral candidates. The Vetevendosje and LDK entered a coalition in February 2020 after the Vetevendosje won election. The LDK proposed Veliu as minister of Interior leaving his position as mayor of Podujeva vacant. But only days after Kurti was elected the prime minister he decided to dismiss Veliu from the ministerial post due to disagreements within ruling coalition on managing the COVID-19 pandemic. His dismissal triggered a no-confidence vote overthrowing Kurti’s Government after only 50 days in power. The LDK changed its coalition partners and formed the new Government led by Avdullah Hoti reconfirming Veliu as minister of Interior.

The Vetevendosje decided to run for mayorship with Shpejtim Bulliqi who was outcasted by the LDK due to his criticism against their leader, Isa Mustafa. In addition to Bulliqi in this race were Nexhmi Rudari of LDK and Naim Fetahu of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) who is ranked as third on Sunday’s election. Despite winning extraordinary mayoral elections, Bulliqi will stay in this post only eight months, until Kosovo holds regular local elections in the second part of next year. /GazetaExpress/