Kosovo authorities arrest over 100 people over alleged ballot manipulation in December vote

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PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Authorities in Kosovo on Friday detained 109 people in connection with alleged vote manipulation that has led to a recount of last month's early parliamentary election in the Balkan country.

Friday’s announcement and the recount, which is expected to last for a few weeks, have fueled fears that a yearlong political crisis would continue.

The prosecutors in the southern town of Prizren said the suspects are facing charges of falsifying election results and exerting pressure, threats and bribery. Chief local Prosecutor Petrit Kryeziu said the alleged fraud involves 68,017 ballots in Prizren municipality alone.

Turnout at the Kosovo election was 44% of the country's 1.9 million voters. It was not immediately clear whether more people could be detained.

State election authorities earlier this week ordered the full recount of the Dec. 28 vote alleging widespread irregularities. But they said the overall outcome is not expected to change as the ballot manipulation related to individual candidates within specific parties.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Vetevendosje, or Self-Determination, party swept the vote in December winning some 51% of the ballots. The same party previously failed to form a government despite also winning the most votes in an election in February 2025, which led to a monthslong political deadlock and the early election in December.

There are fears that the ballot recount will delay the formation of the new parliament and government, thus prolonging the political crisis. Kosovo already has been left without a budget for this year and if lawmakers miss an early March deadline to elect a new president, that would mean that another snap election must be held.

Kosovo, which split from Serbia in 2008 after a 1998-99 war, has one of the poorest economies in Europe. It is one of the six Western Balkan countries striving to eventually join the EU.

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Associated Press Writer Jovana Gec contributed from Belgrade, Serbia.