Rikalo: Vote counting should be done in Kosovska Mitrovica

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Member of Kosovo's Central Election Commission Nenad Rikalo said on Sunday he expected the votes from the rerun of the mayoral election in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, northern Kosovo, to be counted on the spot.

He visited the polling station at St Sava Primary School and said that all the stations in northern Kosovska Mitrovica had opened on time, and that there had been no objections concerning the election so far.

"The voting material is there and the voters began casting their ballots at 7 a.m. (CET)," he stated, adding that the turnout at the start of the election had been small and that the people were expected to vote in greater numbers later in the day.

He expects the votes to be counted at the polling stations right after they close, in accordance with the general election law.

"There is no reason to consider any other scenario. Counting will be done here. Security is at the highest possible level," he stressed.

A rerun of the mayoral election is being held in Kosovoska Mitrovica, which is the fourth mayoral election there in less than four months.

The four candidates are: Oliver Ivanovic from the Citizen Initiative SDP, Goran Rakic from the Citizen Initiative Srpska, Musa Miftari from the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo and Fljorent Azemi from the Democratic Party of Kosovo.

The polling stations will close at 7 p.m. CET. There are 28,429 registered voters, which is about 500 more than in the most recent vote, held two months ago.

The ballots from the previous vote were taken out of northern Kosovska Mitrovica to be counted.

The election is being repeated because Krstimir Pantic, who was elected mayor in the second round on December 1, 2013...