Drenas Setback Signals Trouble for Kosovo’s PDK

Voting in Drenas/Glogovac. Photo: BIRN

Early mayoral elections held on Sunday in the town of Drenas/Glogovac, in central Kosovo, may prove a turning point in the country’s politics.

Drenas has been the stronghold of the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, since 1999, but for the first time in the history of multi-party elections in Kosovo, the PDK failed to win mayoral elections in the first round on December 4.

Its candidate for mayor, Ramiz Lladrovci, a former fighter for the Kosovo Liberation Army fighter and now an MP won 45 per cent of the votes.

This means he will have to try his luck in a second round against the candidate of the NISMA [Initiative for Kosovo] party, Isa Xhemajlaj, who won 26 per cent.