2002 Kosovan local elections

Local elections were held throughout Kosovo on 26 October 2002, organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). This was the second local electoral cycle held in Kosovo after the start of the UNMIK mandate in 1999.

In each municipality, elections were held for municipal assemblies under a system of proportional representation. The elected representatives in each jurisdiction were responsible for choosing an assembly president, who held the rank of mayor. (Beginning with the next local electoral cycle in 2007, mayors were directly elected.)

The Serb community, which had generally boycotted the last round of local voting in 2000, participated in the vote in five predominantly Serb municipalities: Zubin Potok, Zvečan, Leposavić, Novo Brdo, and Štrpce.

In northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbs generally abstained from voting. Milan Ivanović, the leader of the Serbian National Council in northern Kosovo, said that UNMIK had not provided any guarantees that the Kosovska Mitrovica municipal assembly would be decentralized, nor had it created adequate security and institutional conditions for Serb participation. He added that the Serb community was not boycotting the elections in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, as such, but was rather giving the international community the opportunity to organize new elections once certain conditions had been met.

In the rest of the province, Serb participation in the electoral process was minimal.

In November 2002, the Serbian government agreed to give UNMIK direct control over the municipal government of northern Kosovska Mitrovica on a provisional basis.

Gjakova
Incumbent mayor Aqif Shehu of the Democratic League of Kosovo was confirmed for another term in office after the election. The Gjakova municipal council voted to remove Shehu from office in late 2005, but their decision was overturned by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Shehu appears to have broken with the local LDK leadership during this term.

Deçan
Ibrahim Selmanaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo became mayor after the election. He resigned in 2005 after being appointed as a minister in the Kosovo government and was replaced by Nazmi Selmanaj of the same party.

Rahovec
Incumbent mayor Esad Haxhijaha of the Democratic League of Kosovo was confirmed for a new term in office after the election. He later joined the breakaway Democratic League of Dardania.

Leposavić
Velimir Bojović of the Democratic Party of Serbia was chosen as mayor after the election.

Mitrovica
Incumbent mayor Faruk Spahija of the Democratic League of Kosovo was confirmed for another term in office after the election. He died of cancer in October 2005 and was replaced by Mursel Ibrahimi of the same party.

Skenderaj
Incumbent mayor Ramadan Gashi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo was confirmed for another term in office after the election.

Vushtrri
Incumbent mayor Muharrem Shabani of the Democratic League of Kosovo was confirmed for another term in office after the election.

Zubin Potok
Incumbent mayor Slaviša Ristić of the Democratic Party of Serbia was confirmed for another term in office after the election.

Zvečan
Dragiša Milović of the Democratic Party of Serbia was chosen as mayor after the election. Milan Ivanović of the Serbian National Council served as deputy mayor.

Peja
Incumbent mayor Ali Lajçi of the Democratic League of Kosovo was confirmed for another term in office after the election.

Istog
Incumbent mayor Fadil Ferati of the Democratic League of Kosovo was confirmed for another term in office after the election.

Klina
Incumbent mayor Ramë Manaj of the Democratic League of Kosovo was confirmed for another term in office after the election. He resigned in 2006 and was replaced by Prenkë Gjetaj.