Apr 07, 2016

Kosova: Inauguration of President Hashim Thaci


After months of political crisis and inner disputes, Mr Hashim Thaci will be inaugurated today (7 April 2016) as President of Kosova. Mr Thaci, who was one of the leaders of the Kosova pro-independence movement in Serbia between 1998-99 was elected by the Parliament on 26 February. 

 

Below is an article published by Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.

 

Kosovo’s newly elected president, Hashim Thaci, will be inaugurated in the capital, Pristina, on April 7. 

On February 26, Kosovo's parliament elected Thaci, the former foreign minister and ex-leader of the governing Democratic Party of Kosovo, as president in the absence of nearly all opposition lawmakers who earlier tried to disrupt the voting. 

Kosovo has been facing a months-long political crisis, with the opposition denouncing an EU-brokered deal with Serbia to give more rights to local Serbs and a border demarcation pact with Montenegro.

Kosovo's Constitutional Court on April 4 turned down an opposition request to void the election of Thaci because of irregularities. The court said it had found no evidence to substantiate the claims.  

Thaci led the fighters of Kosovo's successful separatist war against Serbia in 1998-99. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, although that is rejected by Serbia.