Kamberi: address deactivation prevented a third mandate, while the second seat remains the goal

Shaip Kamberi, the lead candidate on the Albanian Coalition’s list in Serbia’s parliamentary elections, said that Albanians have a real chance of winning a second mandate. According to him, the deactivation of addresses was among the reasons that prevented them from securing a third mandate.

Shortly before voting ended, Kamberi said that Albanian turnout in Preshevë and Bujanoc was being monitored. He added that the result would also be determined by the overall number of citizens who voted in Serbia.

Preliminary data at 19:00 showed that 16,600 citizens had voted at 37 polling stations in Preshevë. Meanwhile, 10,853 people had participated at Albanian polling stations in Bujanoc.

Kamberi described the electoral process as generally orderly, but said that several minor irregularities had been observed in the early hours.

Speaking about the possibility of securing a second seat, he pointed out that nationwide turnout would be important. “If it reaches 70%, as is being discussed, then certainly more votes will be needed. If turnout is 61–65%, we have a very real chance of securing the second seat,” Kamberi declared.

According to him, the deactivation of addresses has directly reduced Albanians’ electoral potential, because the affected people were also removed from the voter rolls. “This has put us in a situation where we lost the third mandate we had sought,” he said, describing the process as part of systematic discrimination against Albanians in the Preševo Valley.

He specifically mentioned Medvegjë, where, according to him, deactivation has reduced the number of Albanian voters and limited the opportunities for political representation.

Despite the obstacles, Kamberi praised the engagement of Albanian citizens in the election and thanked compatriots who traveled from Kosovo to vote. He said that reactions from Albanian areas in the final days of the campaign gave voters an additional boost.