Minority councils: RIK certifies Ukrainian, Ashkali lists
At its 60th session the RIK certified lists for the Ukrainian and Ashkali minority councils, a day after the Bunjevci and Polish ones. Voting is on November 8.
The Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) certified electoral lists for the Ukrainian and Ashkali national minority councils at its 60th session on Saturday, October 17, 2026. A day earlier, at the 59th session, it certified the lists for the Bunjevci and Polish minority councils. Direct elections for national council members take place on November 8, two weeks after the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25.
Both sessions were chaired by RIK deputy chair Marko Jankovic.
Which lists were certified at the 60th session?
For the National Council of the Ukrainian national minority, the commission certified the voter group list “Senjuk - Filip Pronek”. According to RIK member Marko Danilovic, the list has 15 candidates and was submitted with 88 legally valid voter signatures. Danilovic told the session that the conditions for certification had been met:
“We believe the conditions have been met for the Republic Electoral Commission to certify the electoral list of the voter group ‘Senjuk-Filip Pronek’ for the elections called for November 8.”
The portal UNA carried Danilovic’s statement. In one place the same portal spells the list leader’s surname “Ronek”, while the RIK website and the rest of its text give “Pronek”, so the spelling from the commission’s site is used here.
For the National Council of the Ashkali national minority, the commission certified the list “Muhamet Behrami - For the Progress of the Ashkali”. The RIK website gives the leader’s name as Muhamet, while UNA writes Muhamed. A voter group submitted the list, which according to UNA has 14 candidates and 66 legally valid signatures.
What was certified a day earlier?
At the 59th session on October 16, the RIK certified the list “Bunjevci for Their Identity - Alliance of Backa Bunjevci” for the National Council of the Bunjevci national minority and the list “Polish Concord” for the National Council of the Polish national minority. The same session adopted decisions appointing the members of the committee for holding national council elections through electoral assemblies. The announcement does not name the committee members.
The Ashkali now have two certified lists
The list above is not the first one certified for the Ashkali council. The RIK had earlier certified the list “Ajnur Toplica, Our Voice, Our Future”. Deputy RIK member Milovan Amidzic said, as reported by Insajder, that a voter group had submitted a list with 15 candidates, that Baskim Hajoli submitted it on behalf of the proponents, and that it was found to meet the requirements on the number of candidates and the representation of the less represented gender, with all the documentation required by law attached. The list came with a register of 62 voters who support it.
Based on the RIK announcement and media reports, two lists have been certified so far for the Ashkali council: Toplica’s and Behrami’s.
