Kosovo diaspora voting reform sparks party clash over postal ballot

Kosovo political parties met for a third time to negotiate how the diaspora will vote in upcoming elections. An earlier proposal for electronic voting was rejected by opposition parties, leading the parliamentary majority to suggest postal voting, which would require a foreign postal operator to handle ballot distribution.

LSDM spokesperson Bogdanka Kuzeska warned that the shift to postal voting “opens the door to manipulation of more than 200,000 diaspora votes,” accusing the ruling coalition of seeking to “grab” the diaspora vote without adequate safeguards. She contrasted LSDM’s position, which she says aims for a secure and transparent process, with the ruling OBRM‑PDUKM’s approach, which she called radical.

The Left, BDI and LSDM have asked for several days to review the new proposal, while the Albanian diaspora‑focused Lidhja Shqiptare called for the same voting method to be applied to local elections as well as presidential and parliamentary contests. A follow‑up meeting is planned for early next week.