Former guerrilla leader wins Kosovo's elections

[Martín Zalacaín]

Ex-Kosovo fighter claims victory

A party led by a former Kosovo Albanian guerrilla leader has won the breakaway province's parliamentary election, according to unofficial results.

Hashim Thaci has promised to declare formal independence from Serbia after 10 December - the UN deadline for Albanians and Serbs to reach a deal.
It seems likely his party will have to form a coalition with bitter rivals.
Serbs, who want Kosovo to remain part of Serbia, boycotted the polls, which saw a record low turnout.
If Mr Thaci's party did in fact win the largest number of seats in the 120-seat parliament, a period of negotiations is likely to take place before a coalition government is formed, the BBC's Nick Hawton reports from the Kosovo capital, Pristina.
But every ethnic Albanian party, our correspondent adds, has the same priority: trying to make Kosovo an independent state in its own right and break away from Serbia.
Kosovo is formally part of Serbia but has been run by the United Nations since 1999 when Nato ejected Serbian forces from the province.

'New century'
"We will declare independence immediately after 10 December," Mr Thaci told cheering supporters as results were coming in.


"With our victory today begins the new century... Today Kosovo citizens sent a message to the world, that we are a democratic society, that we are ready to take our country towards the European Union."
Mr Thaci's Democratic Party had 35% of the vote, with more than half of ballots counted, independent observers said.
That puts the former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army in pole position to be prime minister.
The rival Democratic League of Kosovo, which has dominated Kosovo politics since independence, trailed in second place with 22% of the vote, election monitors said.
Official final results may take several days to come through.
According to election officials, the turnout was around 45%, the lowest since 1999.
Correspondents say the low figure was down to poor weather and disenchantment with economic prospects, not second thoughts about independence.

Serb boycott
One hundred of the 120 seats in the provincial assembly were up for direct election, with the rest reserved for Serbs and other minorities.
The Serbian government had called on ethnic Serbs not to vote so as to avoid legitimising the new government. A Kosovo Serb spokesman, Rade Negojevic, said just three out of 46,000 Serbs in northern Kosovo had cast ballots. "Two people voted in Leposavic district, one in Zvecan and not a single person in Kosovska Mitrovica," he said.

source

[Marulus]

Independence loses its magic in Kosovo vote

18 Nov 2007 02:07:14 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Douglas Hamilton

PRISTINA, Serbia, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Kosovo Albanians who fought Serbia for independence 8 years ago seem disillusioned as their dream approaches realisation.

More than half of them did not bother to vote in an election on Saturday, despite the fact that it will chose the leaders they expect to declare statehood within a month or two.

Kosovo has no second-thoughts about its independence. But the realisation that it offers no miracle cure for economic malaise has long overtaken the old euphoria.

"People are depressed," said local newspaper editor Berat Buzhala. "This is about the economic situation. No water, no electricity, no jobs." Shops and small businesses with smart facades have burgeoned in the past few years, spreading cheery neon light onto streets once menaced by sandbagged Serb police checkpoints, where cowed Albanians hurried along in the dark.

Now, downtown Mother Teresa Street is being turned into a fine pedestrian corso, paved with imported Chinese granite and lined with trees, in time for Independence Day.

But litter and puddles still deface most of the capital, Pristina, and its smoke-filled cafes fuelled by the boredom of 60 percent unemployment are not likely to empty out soon.

"Over the past three years nothing has changed for the benefit of the people. Only certain people in government have gotten richer," Buzhala said.

UNDER SUPERVISION

Kosovo was always a poor corner of the old Yugoslavia, mired for decades in a struggle between its steadily growing ethnic Albanian majority and ruling Serbs, who saw that demographic fact encroaching on their ancient homeland.

Serbia's iron grip on the province was broken in 1999 when the military crackdown it unleashed on Albanian rebels went too far for Western powers, who used their superior NATO force to prevent a bloodbath after months of warnings went unheeded.

The United Nations has administered here since, its ubiquitous white four-wheelers an increasingly despised emblem of Kosovo's limbo, between protectorate and true statehood.

An obsolete coal-fired power station belches smoke into the horizon north of the city. Electricity cuts are commonplace, portable generators a must-have household appliance.

It may get a little worse before it gets better, even if Kosovo wins quick recognition for a unilateral declaration of independence expected in the next couple of months. Far from coming to terms with the loss of its province, Serbia is bitterly opposed to secession and may try to inflict as much pain as possible, by blockading recognition, trade, borders, power, telephones and whatever else it can influence.

Serbs living in the northern corner of the province will almost certainly reject the new republic, and since they have Serbia at their backs plus full support from Belgrade, there is little Kosovo can do to prevent de facto partition.

So the flag-raising jubilation of independence day, when it arrives, will have a sober undercurrent. Kosovo faces a long climb to the level of prosperity of the European Union, whose white four-wheelers will shortly replace those of the United Nations. (Editing by Stephen Weeks)

[source]

[Menydh]

With the sum of votes of the two main winning parties, they have obtained a 25.2% of support among elligible voters. If the third-world organisation of the UN is serious about endorsing the independence of Kosovo with such a minority percentage, it is more of a monkey's association than previously suspected.

[Marulus]

Kosovo's likely next PM needs coalition

By NEBI QENA, Associated Press Writer

Sun Nov 18, 6:52 PM ET



Former rebel leader turned politician Hashim Thaci, gives the thumbs up in a sign of victory after he declared himself winner, based on unofficial preliminary results, in parliamentary elections in the capital Pristina early Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007. A former rebel leader who has promised to declare Kosovo's independence if mediation efforts fail declared victory for his party in a parliamentary election held Saturday. With most votes counted, opposition leader Hashim Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo led with 35 percent, according to an unofficial tally by Democracy in Action, a coalition of monitoring groups. The Democratic League of Kosovo, traditionally the province's largest political bloc, trailed with 22 percent. Official results were expected Monday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)


PRISTINA, Serbia - A former rebel leader who says he will declare independence from Serbia next month is likely to become Kosovo's next prime minister, but will have to strike a deal with a rival party after failing to win a majority, officials said Sunday.

Unofficial vote tallies from Saturday's parliamentary elections in the province gave ex-rebel Hashim Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo the lead with 34 percent of the vote. The League of Democratic Kosovo, or LDK — traditionally the province's largest political bloc — trailed with 22 percent. A senior official in Thaci's party told The Associated Press that a coalition with the late President Ibrahim Rugova's LDK was the most likely outcome — although an uneasy one because of a rivalry between the two parties. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue.

Thaci, once a leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army that fought Serbia in the 1998-99 war, often clashed with Rugova, a pacifist. Rugova's death in early 2006, however, split the LDK and weakened its performance in the elections.

Official preliminary results were not expected until late Monday, but the independent observers' tally showed voters strongly supported Thaci, who has pledged to deliver swift independence from Serbia. He declared victory shortly after midnight.

Thaci, 39, told the AP that if he becomes prime minister, Kosovo's leadership will declare independence from Serbia after Dec. 10 — the deadline for international mediators to report back to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on efforts to resolve the dispute over Kosovo's future status.

"Immediately after Dec. 10, Kosovo's institutions will declare the independence of Kosovo," Thaci said Saturday.

Decisions on Kosovo's status are made through a forum of ethnic Albanian leaders, who include the province's prime minister as well as opposition politicians. However, any declaration of independence has to be formally endorsed by the province's parliament.

Some of Kosovo's leaders have recently sought to move back from promises for an immediate declaration of independence if no deal is reached by the deadline. Instead, they are saying Kosovo will wait until after the mediators' report is delivered before considering when a declaration of independence might be made.

Serbia has warned that unilateral moves that curb its formal sovereignty over the province — such as declaring independence — would endanger the region's stability.

Two years of negotiations between Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders and the Serbian government over the province's status have made little progress. The latest effort is being mediated by representatives from the United States, Russia and the European Union.

Saturday's vote was the third for the legislature since the province came under U.N. and NATO control in 1999, after the last in a string of wars that shattered the former Yugoslavia.

Ethnic Albanians have watched with increasing skepticism as their leaders have failed to achieve independence from Serbia. The economy, meanwhile, is in shambles, jobs are scarce and power outages are plentiful.

The Council of Europe said the elections were in line with European standards, but it was troubled by the low voter turnout of 43 percent.

"We are alarmed by the very low turnout and we have to ask ourselves why it is so low," said Doris Pack, a member of the council's 150-member monitoring team. She said it was a reflection of the population's disappointment with elected officials.

Kosovo's dwindling Serb minority also contributed to the low turnout by boycotting the vote — as in past elections — obeying calls from Serbia's leadership. Some Serb voters in ethnic Albanian-dominated areas turned up at polling stations, election observers said.

The United States criticized the Serb boycott.

"The United States deeply regrets the decision of Kosovo Serbs, encouraged by the government of Serbia, not to participate in these elections. Kosovo's Serb community can only be disadvantaged by this decision," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

[source]

[Menydh]

The United States criticized the Serb boycott.

"The United States deeply regrets the decision of Kosovo Serbs, encouraged by the government of Serbia, not to participate in these elections. Kosovo's Serb community can only be disadvantaged by this decision," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Hear, hear! What's the percentage of elligible voters in America, who actually participate in elections? Why don't they learn from the rest of the world, that doesn't care if the majority of Americans don't go to the polls?

And anyway, if Serbs had voted then it would have been time to criticize them for voting against the break-up of their own country. Either way America would have made it a case to open its big mouth.

[Martín Zalacaín]

"The United States deeply regrets the decision of Kosovo Serbs, encouraged by the government of Serbia, not to participate in these elections. Kosovo's Serb community can only be disadvantaged by this decision," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Reading these veiled threats is like reading the statements of a mobster. I guess that's what they are.

[Theobald]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

With the sum of votes of the two main winning parties, they have obtained a 25.2% of support among elligible voters. If the third-world organisation of the UN is serious about endorsing the independence of Kosovo with such a minority percentage, it is more of a monkey's association than previously suspected.

Well, either way Mynydd I don't think there is one single Kosovo Albanian who does not support independence. Let's not be naive, all this will end up with Kosovo break-up from Serbia, and neither Russia nor Serbian militias nor even God can do anything about it. The best they can do is, as said in the article, to "try to inflict as much pain as possible, by blockading recognition, trade, borders, power, telephones and whatever else it can influence", which could create a situation of regional tension that could, why not, influence the rest of Europe.

[Menydh]

The "independence" of Kosovo is a territorial winning of neo-Ottomans over Europe.

And what about the Kosovan Serbs? You cannot abandon them at their own fate in the hands of Albanians..

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

The "independence" of Kosovo is a territorial winning of neo-Ottomans over Europe.

The very meaning of the word independence will be changed in the vocabulary of the international relations, if Kosovo becomes "independent".

It is my guess that there won't be any independence of Kosovo. Threatening "independence" is, in my opinion, one of the means in which Americans blackmail Serbia into accepting their military-strategic demands and becoming their main Balkanic puppet. Serbia, however, still resists. The political party of the Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica recently issued a "declaration of neutrality", meaning that Serbia will refuse to enter NATO, ie. to compete for that (I wsih we in Croatia had a politician like Koštunica!) Maybe mounting pressure over Kosovo issue is the direct result thereof.

One possible scenario is that the government of Hashim Thaci declares "independence", which nobody in the world will recognize (see the examples of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Pridnyestrovskaya Respublika in Moldova and Chechnya between 1996 and 2000). In that case the true independence wouldn't come into realization (the international recognition being one of the pre-requisties for the independence), but the Damocles' sword over Serbia will be even more effective (lest you obey to our demands, we will recognize Kosovo).

Originally Posted by Mynydd

And what about the Kosovan Serbs? You cannot abandon them at their own fate in the hands of Albanians..

There are still Serbs in the north eastern part of Kosovo. There the Russian forces stationed there. Plans are being made for the partition of Kosovo.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Plethon

The very meaning of the word independence will be changed in the vocabulary of the international relations, if Kosovo becomes "independent".

Well, I used quotes because of Albania and, indirectly and ultimately, Turkey.

It is my guess that there won't be any independence of Kosovo. Threatening "independence" is, in my opinion, one of the means in which Americans blackmail Serbia into accepting their military-strategic demands and becoming their main Balkanic puppet. Serbia, however, still resists.

I'd like to read a second opinion.

The political party of the Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica recently issued a "declaration of neutrality", meaning that Serbia will refuse to enter NATO, ie. to compete for that (I wsih we in Croatia had a politician like Koštunica!) Maybe mounting pressure over Kosovo issue is the direct result thereof. Neutrality, for the time being.

Don't you think that we might soon see a counter-NATO alliance led and promoted by Russia?

One possible scenario is that the governments of Hashim Thaci declares "independence", which nobody in the world will recognize (see the examples of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Pridnyestrovskaya Respublika in Moldova and Chechnya between 1996 and 2000). In that case the true independence wouldn't come into realization (the international recognition being one of the pre-requisties for the independence), but the Damocles' sword over Serbia will be even more effective (lest you obey to our demands, we will recognize Kosovo).

That sounds as a very likely scenario.

There are still Serbs in the north eastern part of Kosovo. There the Russian forces stationed there. Plans are being made for the partition of Kosovo.

I don't know if in the end it would not be more convenient for Serbia if the secession of Albania becomes a reality, with Serbia retaining a fair portion of the territory for the ethnic Serbians. An Albanian "independent" state in Kosovo should only add more transparence to the problem that Albanians represent for the stability of Europe.

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

I'd like to read a second opinion.

It is just my guess. There was already a discussion on that and even Crvena Zvezda agreed with my guess. Last year USA and Serbia signed a military agreement, nay, two of them. America has been wanting to improve the military cooperation for years.

Ambassador Polt Hails the Signing of a Bilateral Agreement to Prevent the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, April 5, 2006

Remarks by Ambassador Michael C. Polt - Atlantic Council of Serbia Annual International Conference, June 22, 2006

DefenseLink News Article: U.S., Serbia Sign Status-of-Forces Agreement; Ohio Welcomes State Partnership

U.S. and Serbia enter agreement that would allow American troops in Serbia

And now Koštunica seems to be moving in another direction...but there are also pro-American forces and lobbies in Serbia, which are very powerful.

Originally Posted by Mynydd

Don't you think that we might soon see a counter-NATO alliance led and promoted by Russia?

This is in the realm of pure speculation. So far they speak of neutrality only. But some of Putin's moves could speak in favour of some scenario similar to the one envisioned by you.

Koštunica party adopts declaration of neutrality

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Plethon

Serbia, however, still resists. The political party of the Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica recently issued a "declaration of neutrality", meaning that Serbia will refuse to enter NATO, ie. to compete for that (I wish we in Croatia had a politician like Koštunica!)

What he did is admirable, but I don't share your enthusiasm because we have enough mafia of our own.

One possible scenario is that the government of Hashim Thaci declares "independence", which nobody in the world will recognize (see the examples of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Pridnyestrovskaya Respublika in Moldova and Chechnya between 1996 and 2000). In that case the true independence wouldn't come into realization (the international recognition being one of the pre-requisties for the independence), but the Damocles' sword over Serbia will be even more effective (lest you obey to our demands, we will recognize Kosovo).

I agree with Theobald. The American officials are constantly repeating that Kosovo will become independent. So if Kosovo declares independence, the US of A will be the first country to recognize its sovereignty, be sure about that. Any other scenario would mean that Americans are a joke, and everybody would laugh at them. Especially the Russians, who would further affirm their political strength. Since US cannot afford that, they will become the slaves of their own words, and honour them.

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Monolith

What he did is admirable, but I don't share your enthusiasm because we have enough mafia of our own.

I meant to say, I wish we had some good politician, who would sweep the presently ruling political mafia aside...