Ex-Rebel Leader Ahead in Kosovo Vote

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Ex-Rebel Leader Ahead in Kosovo Vote

Saturday November 17, 2007 10:01 PM

By NEBI QENA

Associated Press Writer

PRISTINA, Serbia (AP) - The party of a former
rebel leader who has promised to declare Kosovo's
independence if mediation efforts fail was leading a
parliamentary election Saturday, according to an
unofficial tally by independent observers.

With more than a third of the votes counted,
opposition leader Hashim Thaci's Democratic Party
of Kosovo was leading with 35 percent, according
to the Democracy in Action coalition of monitoring
groups. The League of Democratic Kosovo,
traditionally the province's largest political bloc,
was trailing with 23 percent.

Thaci, who had been favored in recent polls as a
likely winner, told The Associated Press shortly
after he cast his vote that if he becomes Kosovo's
prime minister he would declare independence from
Serbia after Dec. 10.

The date is when international envoys must report
back to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on
efforts to resolve the dispute over Kosovo's future
status.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7085338,00.html

[xchrom]

1. is there anyone who can give more details on

mediation and reconciliation in kosovo?

i know that the last i heard -- ksovo was still a very divided country -- serbian v albanian.

while i hate what serbia did to kosovo -- kosovo has been part of serbia for a long time -- albeit sparcely populated.