How were candidates for members of parliament selected by political parties, and how much did they spend in their attempt to win a seat in the Assembly?
For the first time in Kosovo, these questions are addressed by the report “The Cost of Politics in Kosovo,” a joint initiative of the non-governmental organization Demokraci Plus (D+) and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).
This report has led, for the first time, to political parties being transparent about their expenditures and financial sources during the election campaign.
According to the report, the average spending per candidate amounts to €9,463, while winning candidates spend an average of €12,150. Candidates who were not elected spent €4,090 on average. The report also notes that women spent more than men during the election campaign.
As for the criteria used to select candidates, these vary by party.
“In the Vetëvendosje Movement, candidates told us that geographic representation was taken into account, along with the influence these individuals have in the areas they come from. Another factor was candidates’ polarizing ability in terms of representing key political issues and confronting political rivals. Early activists and those who had held executive power were given priority on the lists. Closeness to the party leader and party structures was another unwritten criterion,” said Albert Krasniqi, Programs Director at Demokraci Plus.
In the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), importance was given to candidates’ clean records and other criteria.
“In the Democratic Party of Kosovo, one criterion was that candidates should not have indictments, that the list be clean and with integrity; they should be political figures and have been profiled in specific fields. Age and candidates without prior political engagement were part of an effort to present reforms within the party. Furthermore, the history of contribution to the country and ties to the KLA war were important elements. Geographic representation outside the Drenica region was also taken into account, as the party is seen as having its main base there,” said Albert Krasniqi.
The report shows that candidates close to the party leader in the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) had certain advantages, along with experienced activists within the party.
“In the Democratic League of Kosovo, we were told that the aim was to protect LDK’s conservative vote. Early party activists, political and professional figures were placed on the lists, as well as candidates who had or had built ties with the business community, or who demonstrate an understanding of how the economy or entrepreneurship functions. The goal was for the party to appear strong in economic terms,” said Albert Krasniqi.
The report was prepared based on semi-structured interviews with 15 parliamentary candidates, of whom 10 won seats in the Assembly and 5 did not. In addition, two focus groups were organized—one with candidates from political parties and another with experts and journalists involved in covering the election campaign—to verify the study’s findings.