Kosovo president in surprise resignation By Ismet Hajdari (AFP) – 6 hours ago
PRISTINA — Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu announced his surprise resignation Monday in a move that could hamper the start of EU-brokered talks between Belgrade and Pristina. Sejdiu resigned following a court ruling that he breached the constitution by keeping a party post while in office. "I presented my resignation for the post of Kosovo president today," he told a press conference. "I was convinced that keeping the function of the president of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) without exercising it did not violate the constitution. The court had a different opinion and I respect the ruling," he said. In a decision published Friday, Kosovo's constitutional court said that Sejdiu was in "serious breach" of the constitution by holding the posts of president of Kosovo and of the LDK. A complaint against him had been filed by 32 members of parliament. Sejdiu's resignation comes as Kosovo is due to restart talks with Serbia, which has never formally accepted the independence of its former province. Kosovo declared its independence in 2008 and, despite Serbia's fierce opposition, is recognised by 70 countries including the United States and the majority of European Union members. Pristina was given a boost in July when the United Nation's highest court, the International Court of Justice, ruled that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate international law. Earlier this month Belgrade agreed to hold EU-facilitated talks with Pristina to try to pave the way for both to join the European Union. Serbia's President Boris Tadic told the UN General Assembly at the weekend that the talks would start "soon". "We must be patient and seek out those issues which allow confidence to be built on each side," Tadic said, warning however that Kosovo's unilateral declaration risked "becoming a dangerous and destabilising precedent." It is unclear how Sejdiu' resignation will affect the negotiations but observers fear uncertainty over Kosovo's leadership could slow down the process. There are also concerns it could heighten political tension between the LDK and its coalition partner, the Democratic Party of Kosovo of Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. The LDK is the junior partner in the uneasy coalition government led by Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo. According to the coalition agreement, the LDK provides the president while their partner has the post of prime minister. "There could be a negative impact (on the talks with Serbia) if there will be no new president elected in 15 days, especially if (Thaci's party) shows an appetite for the post of the president," said analyst Ramush Tahiri. "In that case we will have an institutional crisis." A scramble for the presidency could lead to a break up of the coalition and push Kosovo into early elections. Speaker of parliament Jakup Krasniqi, of the prime minister's party, took up the post of interim president Monday, as dictated by the constitution, and tried to calm fears of a power vacuum. "There will be no institutional vacuum. Our every move will be based on the constitution and be in the interest of the country and the citizens," Krasniqi told reporters. "A normal procedure will be taken for the election of a new president," he said. According to the constitution, parliament elects the president. There is no deadline for the vote for a new president but the winner has to have the support of two-thirds of the deputies in the 120-seat parliament. Krasniqi also announced the start of consultations with all political figures and parties. Sejdiu, 58, became president in February 2006, replacing Ibrahim Rugova, who died of lung cancer a month earlier. Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. _______________________________________________ News mailing list News@antic.org http://lists.antic.org/mailman/listinfo/news
