The Central Election Commission (CEC) held its latest meeting today, during which it approved the establishment of a commission tasked with reviewing and verifying ballots and the consistency of their numbers across polling stations for the second-round mayoral elections.
Besnik Buzhala, Director of the Office for Registration, Certification, and Financial Control of Political Entities, explained that errors were detected in the polling station codes printed on ballots in Mitrovica and Gjakova, as identified in reports from the respective municipal election commissions. According to him, these issues occurred during the printing process.
As a result, a special commission will be formed to assess and cross-check the total number of ballots at the Counting and Results Center (CRC).
The decision passed with 8 votes in favor, while two PDK members voted against and one abstained.
CEC Chair Kreshnik Radoniqi announced that the printing company “Cetis” had submitted a report confirming instances of incorrect ballot codes, noting that the report will be forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP/PZAP) for further review.
However, PDK representatives expressed disapproval.
CEC member Arjanit Elshani stated that no official detailed reports had been submitted and warned that technical mistakes are being politicized.
His colleague Ilir Gashi added that investigations should be conducted by competent institutions, not used to create political alibis.
The issue has reignited debate over electoral credibility and transparency, especially in municipalities where vote irregularities were previously reported.
