Kosovo's governing party wins parliamentary election but without majority, preliminary results show

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Preliminary results showed that Prime Minister Albin Kurti ’s party won Kosovo's parliamentary election Sunday but without the majority needed to govern alone, as talks on normalizing ties with rival Serbia remain stalled and foreign funding for one of Europe's poorest countries is in question.

With 73% of the votes counted, Kurti’s leftist Self-Determination Movement Party, or Vetevendosje!, won 41.99% which doesn't give it the majority needed to govern alone, leaving open the possibility the other three contenders could join ranks if he fails to form a Cabinet.

The other challengers are the Democratic Party of Kosovo, or PDK, whose main leaders are detained at an international criminal tribunal at The Hague accused of war crimes, which won 22.68% of the vote. Next with 17.9% support is the Democratic League of Kosovo, or LDK, the oldest party in the country which lost much of its support after the death in 2006 of its leader, Ibrahim Rugova. The third contender is the Alliance for Kosovo’s Future of former prime minister Ramush Haradinaj with 7.56%.

“The people won. Vetevendosje! won. We are the winning subject who is to form the next Cabinet,” Kurti told journalists while groups of celebrating supporters.

Voting ended at 7 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) “without problems that could violate its integrity,” according to Central Election Commission Valmir Elezi.

The commission's webpage was down temporarily as it was overloaded “due to the citizens' high interest to learn the results at the platform,” according to the commission, the main election body.

A preliminary turnout after 92% of the votes counted was 40.59, or 7% lower than four years ago.

The parties made big-ticket pledges to increase public salaries and pensions, improve education and health services, and fight poverty. However, they did not explain where the money would come from, nor how they would attract more foreign investment.

Kurti has been at odds with Western powers since his Cabinet took several steps that raised tensions with Serbia and ethnic Serbs, including the ban on the use of the Serbian currency and dinar transfers from Serbia to Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority that depends on Belgrade’s social services and payments. The U.S., the European Union and the NATO-led stabilization force KFOR have urged the government in Pristina to refrain from unilateral actions, fearing the revival of inter-ethnic conflict.

This is the first time since independence in 2008 that Kosovo’s parliament has completed a full four-year mandate. It is the ninth parliamentary vote in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-1999 war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists that pushed Serbian forces out following a 78-day NATO air campaign. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.

The vote will determine who will lead the Kosovo in negotiations with Serbia, which stalled again last year.

The EU has suspended funding for some projects and set conditions for their gradual resumption, linked to Kosovo taking steps to de-escalate tensions in the north, where most of the Serb minority lives.

Kosovo is also suffering after Washington imposed a 90-day freeze on funding for different projects through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been key in promoting the country’s growth.

Some 2 million eligible voters will elect 120 lawmakers from 1,280 candidates from 27 political groupings. One independent candidate is also running. The Kosovar parliament has 20 seats reserved for minorities regardless of election results, 10 of which are for the Serb minority.

“I encourage all the citizens of Kosovo to use this opportunity to decide on the next four years,” Kurti said after casting his ballot.

There have been sporadic violent incidents. Prosecutors said they detained eight people for trying to influence voters. Police said the “electoral process passed on quietly and without serious incidents.”

Kosovars abroad started voting Saturday at 43 diplomatic missions. Some 20,000 voters from the diaspora of nearly 100,000 were casting ballots, with the rest voting by mail.

Although crucial for the region's stability, negotiations with Serbia have not figured prominently on any party’s agenda.

”What can we do? We were born here. Our graves are here. It will be better, I hope. We have to come out and vote. That is our duty,” Mileva Kovacevic, a Serb resident in northern Mitrovica, said.

Kosovo, with a population of 1.6 million, is one of the poorest countries in Europe with an annual gross domestic product of less than 6,000 euros per person.

KFOR increased its presence in Kosovo after last year’s tensions with Serbia as well as for the election.

A team of 100 observers from the EU, 18 from the Council of Europe and about 1,600 others from international or local organizations will monitor the vote.

Associated Press writer Vojislav Stjepanovic contributed to this report.

Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani waits in line before casting her ballot during parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani casts her ballot during parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, leaves a voting station as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, makes statements outside a voting station as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

Lumir Abdixhiku, Leader of Democratic League of Kosovo party, casts his ballot during parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, prepares to cast his ballot as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, arrives to vote as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, casts his ballot as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

A man casts his ballot for a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

European Union election observers watch a voter at a polling station during a parliamentary election in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

A voter waits for a ballot during a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

People wait in front of a polling station for a parliamentary election in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

A man prepares his ballot for a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

People wait in line during a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

An electoral committee member prepares a voting station for a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

A woman is checked by a member of an electoral committee during a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)