Kosovo: Former PM's coalition declares election victory

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia

A political coalition led by former Kosovan Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj declared victory on Monday after a snap parliamentary contest at the weekend.

According to unofficial initial results from the Kosovo Central Election Commission, the coalition lead by Haradinaj won 34.65 percent, with 91 percent of the votes counted.

Haradinaj was detained in France in January, accused of committing war crimes in June 1999 when he was the commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Serbia has demanded his extradition but French courts have rejected the demand.

Haradinaj was later released on bail pending court proceedings.

The 48-year-old was one of the key figures in the former Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1998-1999 war with Serb forces.

Meanwhile, the Movement for Self-Determination won 26.73 and the LDK coalition led by Avdullah Hoti got 25.84 percent of the vote. A Serb list won 5.6 percent.

Twenty seats in 120-seat Kosovan parliament are reserved for ethnic Serbs and other minorities.

Based on the results no coalition can govern alone and it is most likely Kosovo will see a government formed by rival parties.

PDK coalition supporters held a celebration rally in the capital Pristina.

Haradinaj, the coalition's candidate to be prime minister, told the rally that this was Kosovo's best election in its history.

"Congratulations on our victory; we know that there is a lot of work ahead of us. But we are going to achieve (it) together," said Haradinaj.

Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, speaking to local media in Gornji Milanovac, said he would have preferred to have seen Kosovo’s electorate vote differently.

"It will create difficulties to us, but we have to preserve stability," said Vucic.

While Kosovo’s 2008 unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia is recognized by over 100 countries, including the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and Turkey, tension between Belgrade and Pristina has risen to its highest level since the EU tried to normalize relations in 2011.