IKL demands criminal investigation into suspicions of vote manipulation in South Mitrovica

The Kosovo Institute for Justice (KIJ) has requested a proper criminal investigation to clarify all uncertainties raised following reports of suspected vote manipulation during the November 9 election process in South Mitrovica.

According to the KLI, the lack of transparency from the State Prosecutor's Office and the Central Election Commission (CEC) has created uncertainty and undermined citizens' trust in the electoral process.

"The actions taken so far have not provided credible evidence and clarification to the public, which is essential to preserving the integrity of the elections," the response states.

During the verification of votes for mayor, ballots with serial numbers that do not match the respective polling stations were identified, as well as ballots without serial numbers. KLI says that a similar phenomenon was also observed in the Municipality of Gjakova, although on a smaller scale.

The CEC has justified the case as a “technical error” by the company that printed the ballots, “CETIS”, but the IKL assesses that such a response is not enough to dispel the doubts raised. According to the institute, the CEC as a constitutional body cannot delegate responsibility to a private company, describing this as “abstention from constitutional and legal powers”.

The KLI emphasizes that the company "CETIS" has only contractual liability, and for this reason, the case should be treated through a full criminal investigation, to determine whether it is a technical error or manipulation of the citizen's will.

also Local elections 11 under 2025 Cakolli: Any ballot that does not match the polling station code should be declared invalid

In response, the KLI also criticizes the Basic Prosecution Office of Mitrovica, which, according to them, "has only notarized the CEC's position, without taking concrete investigative actions."

The Institute requests that the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor take this case under jurisdiction or transfer it to another prosecutor's office, in order to guarantee a professional, independent and transparent investigation.

"Failure to address these concerns risks regression in democratic standards and undermines citizens' trust in free and fair elections," warns the IKL.