Election day in Kosovo, June 2017 | Photo: Atdhe Mulla

Kosovo marks the last day of the local election campaign on Friday, as it prepares for Sunday’s elections, now being held for the second time since 2013 also in the northern Serb-majority towns.

Over 1.8 million Kosovo residents have rights to vote in 2,505 polling in the 38 municipalities, 27 of which are Albanian-majority, 10 of which are Serb-majority and one of which is mainly ethnic Turkish.

Most eyes are on the outcome in the capital, Pristina, where eight candidates are running for the post of mayor. The current mayor, Vetevendosje movement’s Shpend Ahmeti, who won in 2013 against former Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, is running for a second term.

His rivals are former the Minister of Social Welfare and current MP Arban Abrashi, from the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, a former journalist who has joined the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, Arber Vllahiu, Lirak Celaj, from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, Selim Pacolli from the New Kosovo Alliance, AKR, Shyqiri Bytyqi from the Initiative for Kosovo, NISMA, Rifat Deri, for Alternative, and Avni Cakmaku, for Fjala [the Word], a religious conservative party.

Police say they recorded 17 incidents during the electoral campaign, and have announced a security plan for Sunday. Deputy Prosecutor Sevdije Morina also said that that 86 prosecutors will be working during Sunday’s elections.

The polling stations will open at 7am on Sunday.