World Bulletin / News Desk

Local elections in Kosovo will take place tomorrow, with three ethnic Turks running in the election race. Ethnic Serbs, who boycotted the last elections, will also be participating.

Three ethnic Turks will be among 7,964 people running in the local elections in Kosovo tomorrow, all competing to become municipal ministers and members of parliament.

Having declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, the ethnic Serb population refrained from participating in the previous elections. However, this year they will take part for the first time. Approximately 1.8 million Kosovars will be voting at 2,366 polling stations tomorrow.

The elections will take place under the supervision of over 28,000 native and foreign observers.

Instead of backing one mutual candidate, the three ethnic Turkish parties of Kosovo – the Kosovo Turkish Justice Party, the Kosovo Turkish Union and the Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party – will all be nominating their own candidates.

Going to polls best protection from stealing of votes

Considering the atmosphere one day before the elections, Adnan Merovci, former president of Kosovo Central Election Commission expects a good outcome of local elections in Kosovo to be held on November 3.

"Going to the polls and voting individually will prevent any malfunction, missuse and stealing," said Merovci.

Answering the question on whether the political parties are the most responsible for manipulation of election results, Merovci said following the last elections some political parties admitted stealing of votes.

Merovci emphasizes the importance of police regulation in the voting process. Police will be present at the polls to monitor the process and prevent any incidents in which case they will submit a notification to the prosecutor on duty. 

"I think it is positive if a voter sees police at the poll, because it is an institution that can intervene in case something happens," he said.

Adnan Merovci called on all citizens to go to the polls and take a role in their future.