- Title: Kosovan candidates vow to fight corruption as election campaign ends
- Date: 4th October 2019
- Summary: PRISTINA, KOSOVO (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SUPPORTERS OF VETEVENDOSJE PARTY (SELF-DETERMINATION MOVEMENT) AT FINAL ELECTION RALLY CHANTING: "ALBINI" LEADER OF VETEVENDOSJE AND CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER ALBIN KURTI WAVING TO SUPPORTERS SUPPORTER WAVING ALBANIAN FLAG LARGE LETTERS IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING READING (Albanian): "KURTI GOVERNMENT" VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS CHANTING KURTI WALKING ONTO STAGE SUPPORTERS CHEERING, KURTI WAVING ON STAGE KURTI ADDRESSING SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) LEADER OF VETEVENDOSJE PARTY AND CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER, ALBIN KURTI, SAYING: "We will empower the prosecution and justice, we will empower police and military so we can be just and have justice." SUPPORTERS CHEERING SUPPORTERS HOLDING UP LIGHT FROM PHONES SUPPORTERS CHANTING SUPPORTERS WAVING FLAGS AND CHANTING IN FRONT OF SLOGAN READING (Albanian): "KURTI GOVERNMENT" KOSOVO DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDK) SUPPORTER FILMING RALLY WITH PHONE SUPPORTERS OF PDK GATHERED AT FINAL RALLY IN PRISTINA CITY CENTRE VARIOUS OF LEADER OF PDK AND CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER, KADRI VESELI, STANDING IN FRONT OF CROWD AND GIVING THUMBS UP SUPPORTERS CHANTING: "KADRIA" (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) LEADER OF KOSOVO DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDK) AND CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER, KADRI VESELI, SAYING: "In this new Kosovo there will be no place for old and bad practices. There will be no place for injustice, there will be no place for hatred, and there will be no place for corruption." SUPPORTERS CHEERING AS CONFETTI AND BALLOONS ARE RELEASED VESELI AND HIS WIFE STANDING IN FALLING CONFETTI WITH THUMBS UP
- Embargoed: 19th October 2019 00:01
- Keywords:
- Location: PRISTINA, KOSOVO
- City: PRISTINA, KOSOVO
- Country: Kosovo
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZOOLRT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Kosovo's political parties on Friday (October 4) wrapped up ten days of campaigning that have seen candidates appealing to voters weary of empty political promises with pledges to fight corruption and tackle economic malaise.
Kosovo has Europe's youngest population, with an average age of 29, and has seen annual economic growth averaging 4% over the past decade, but it remains very poor and more than 200,000 Kosovars have left and applied for asylum in the European Union since Pristina won its independence from Belgrade in 2008.
The election was triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj in July after he was summoned for questioning by the war crimes prosecutor in The Hague over his role in the 1998-99 insurgency against Serb forces.
Public dissatisfaction with the record of his three-party governing coalition has boosted support for opposition parties, with the centre-right Democratic League for Kosovo (LDK) and the nationalist, left-leaning Vetevendosje vying for first place.
LDK's candidate for Prime Minister Vjosa Osmani, her main rival, Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, and Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK) head Kadri Veseli are trying to tap into the public anger over graft.
But voters are sceptical about politicians' promises in a country where more than a third of people are unemployed and getting a well-paid job usually requires hard cash or political connections.
Opinion polls predict no party gaining enough support to form a government on its own after Sunday's (October 6) election, and lengthy coalition talks are expected.
(Production: Bardh Krasniqi) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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