Local elections debates

ATRC CONTRIBUTES TO VOTERS’ EDUCATION ON POLICY ISSUES

Citizens in every town of Kosovo had the opportunity to gather information and ask questions to political parties’ nominees running for mayors on local elections, through 27 public meetings organized by Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC), Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and the Institute for Advanced Studies (GAP).

The meetings held in October and November gathered around 13.000 participants in Kaçanik, Viti/Vitina, Ferizaj/Urosevac, Gjilan/Gnjilane, Kamenicë/a, Novobërd/a, Podujevë/o, Obiliq/c, Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje, Drenas/Gllogovac, Malishevë/Malishevo, Rahovec/Orahovac, Dragash, Suhareka/Suvareka, Prizren, Gjakova/Djakovica, Deçan/Decane, Peja/Pec, Istog/k, Klinë/a, Skenderaj/Srbica,
Shtërpce/Sterpce, Shtime/Shtimlje, Lipjan/Lipljan, Mitrovicë/a, Vushtrri/Vucitrna and Pristina. 

This initiative aimed to contribute to voters’ education on policy issues through informative election debates which focused on the issues needed to be discussed
during the elections and pressed political parties for coherent political ideas and plans to realistically tackle Kosovo’s social and economic problems.

The issues discussed were brought to a broad public debate with audience participation and broadcasts on the main national TV station RTK and twenty-seven local radio and TV stations all over Kosovo.

Citizens’ concerns raised during the debates were about unemployment, corruption, illegal constructions, procedures of getting documents at the municipal offices, and sanitation.