|
Kosovo
Parliament Elects Rugova As President
 |
|
Kosovo
President Ibrahim Rugova, left, and Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi |
PRISTINA,
Yugoslavia, March 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Kosovo's multi ethnic
legislative assembly elected moderate Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova president,
chose Bajram Rexhepi as prime minister and a 10-minister cabinet, a major step
towards self-rule for the troubled Yugoslav province, news agencies reported
Monday.
Immediately
after announcing the results, Rugova said his mandate will be one of
"unity, good governance and rule of law".
"We
will build a society of tolerance, understanding, reconciliation among the
people and respect for each other," Rugova told journalists shortly after
being elected president of the UN-administered province, reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
Monday's
vote resulted from a power-sharing agreement reached last week between the
leaders of the main ethnic Albanian parties, supervised by the UN administrator
for the province, German diplomat Michael Steiner.
"This
is a good day for Kosovo... These are men who will work for the interest of
Kosovo," Steiner told journalists at a joint press conference with Rugova
and Prime Minister Bajrami.
The
vote was passed 88-3. Afterwards, deputies stood to applaud their new president
and prime minister, reported BBC’s online news service.
It
was the fourth attempt by the writer-turned-politician to be elected president
by the parliament, after disagreements among various ethnic Albanian parties
prevented him from obtaining the majority he needed.
Rugova's
League of Democratic Kosovo (LDK) won 47 seats in the assembly in November's
elections in the province.
As
a result of the deal on Thursday, Rugova will share power with Thaci's
Democratic Party of Kosovo, which won 26 seats, and the Alliance for the Future
of Kosovo of Ramush Haradinaj, which won eight.
"Kosovo's
government under my leadership will work towards consolidating the democratic
institutions and will be responsible and transparent," Bajram Rexhepi told
journalists shortly after being elected Prime Minister.
The
majority ethnic Albanian population seeks independence for the province from
Belgrade's rule. This has often been criticized by the international community
which fears such an action might encourage other separatist sentiments in the
region.
Rugova
repeated his stand on working for the province's independence.
"My
position is clear, I would like to see Kosovo independent, free and integrated
in Europe," Rugova said.
The
legislature has limited decision making powers, as the most sensitive decisions
are made by the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) which remains the ultimate
authority in the province.
Steiner
will retain the power to block any moves he deems are contrary to UN Security
Council Resolution 1244 of June 1999, which ended the war in Kosovo and which
governs all actions of UNMIK and the NATO force in Kosovo.
In
Brussels, meanwhile, the European Union welcomed the election of new political
leaders in Kosovo and urged them to tackle pressing issues such as economic
development and the fight against crime, AFP reported.
"I
was very pleased by the good news coming out of Pristina today," said EU
foreign policy chief Javier Solana after Kosovo's parliament elected Rugova as
president and Bajram Rexhepi as prime minister.
"I
would like to congratulate the Kosovo Albanian leaders for having mustered the
political courage necessary to overcome their difficulties," Solana said in
a statement.
He
said he was looking forward to Rugova and Rexhepi "continuing to
demonstrate effectiveness and sense of responsibilities in building a better
future" for the mainly ethnic Albanian, UN-administered Serbian province.
"Expectations
remain high," Solana said, urging them to focus on getting Kosovo's
self-governing bodies to tackle "economic development, beating crime and
violence, and creating a fair and safe society for all of Kosovo's
inhabitants."
|
