(ANSA-AFP) - PRISTINA, FEB 9 - The last voters cast their
ballots in Kosovo Sunday in elections pitting combative
incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti's quest to stamp out
Serbian influence against a fractured opposition's vow to boost
the economy. Kurti and his Vetevendosje ("Self-Determination")
party (VV) have campaigned on their efforts to dismantle the
remaining Serbian institutions in Kosovo while expanding the
government's reach to Serb-majority areas. He and the VV insist
his government is in greater control of Kosovo's territory than
at any other time since independence. "I thank all the citizens
of Kosovo who voted so far and encourage everybody to vote,"
said Kurti as voting got under way across Kosovo. Polls closed
at 7:00 pm (1800 GMT). A projection published by leading Kosovo
news outlet KOHA said VV was leading the race with an estimated
42 percent of votes cast for the incumbent party. The right-wing
Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) trailed in second with 21
percent followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with
20 percent. (ANSA-AFP).
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