Serbia’s elections: Valley Albanians seek stronger representation through a joint list

With Serbia’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for Sunday, approaching, the official election silence period has begun. The Albanians of the Preševo Valley, who are competing this time with a single list, have concluded their campaign with messages calling for mobilization and voter turnout, hoping that political unity will bring broader representation in parliament.

This Sunday, the Albanians of the Preševo Valley will head to polling stations as part of Serbia’s parliamentary elections, appearing for the first time with a single electoral list.

The candidates seeking seats in parliament have stepped up calls for civic engagement, urging the political coalition to be transformed into votes, and the votes into a stronger voice in the parliamentary arena.

During the campaign, representatives of the Albanian Coalition emphasized the need for mass participation, calling on residents of the Preševo Valley to vote for the joint list, which carries number 17.

According to the candidates, the unification of Albanian political forces creates a real opportunity to strengthen the position of Albanians within Serbia’s state institutions and advance demands related to dignity, equality and the protection of fundamental rights.

Relying on the slogan “For dignity, equality and a voice that does not remain silent in the face of injustice,” the candidates urged voters to engage fully on election day.

They stressed that every vote matters and that turning out for the elections is a shared duty to secure the future of Albanian representation in the Serbian parliament.

In this context, an appeal has also been made to fellow Albanians living and working in Kosovo to exercise their right to vote and help expand the political influence of the Albanians of the Valley.

“Let us engage, mobilize and all turn out to vote,” is the central message of the Albanian Coalition’s candidates in the final hours before the elections.

The candidates have called for the energy of the campaign’s final days to be translated into a high voter turnout, with the aim of turning political unity into more mandates and a stronger voice within Serbia’s state structures.

Their message for election day is clear: united behind number 17.

On Sunday, polling stations in Serbia will be open from 07:00 to 20:00. A total of 6,450,523 eligible voters are registered on the electoral rolls, while the process will take place at 8,392 polling stations in total, 93 of them abroad, in 37 countries.

During the election silence period, which took effect at midnight, all forms of presenting candidates and their programs in the media or at public gatherings are prohibited, as are calls urging voters to support or oppose a particular list. The publication of predictions about possible results is also not allowed.

The election silence period will end on Sunday, October 25, at 20:00, precisely when the polling stations close.