May 31 2008
The predominant religion in Kosova,Islam,mostly Sunni with a Bektashi minority,declared by most of the ethnic Albanians,the majority of the population,by the Bosnians, the Gorani, and the Turkish communities,and by some in the Roma/Ashkali/Egyptian community with a small and aging Jewish population, some other faiths, some which consider them selves atheists.
The Serb population, estimated 100,000 to 120,000 persons, is largely Serbian Orthodox. About three percent of ethnic Albanians in Kosova are Roman Catholic. The largest political party in Kosova, the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK), has its origins in the 1990s non-violent resistance movement to the Serb,Miloševic's rule. The party LDK was led by Ibrahim Rugova until his death in 2006.The two next largest parties have their roots in the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA):the Democratic Party of Kosova (PDK) led by former KLA leader Hashim Thaci and the Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK), led by former KLA commander Ramush Haradinaj.
KFOR Patrol crosses neighborhood in Mitrovica burned down after the war.
The Kosova publisher, Veton Surroi formed his own political party in 2004 named "Ora." Kosova Serbs, formed the Serb List for Kosova and Metohija (SLKM) in 2004, but have boycotted Kosova's institutions and never taken their seats in the Kosova Assembly. In November 2001, the OSCE supervised the first elections for the Kosova Assembly.After that election,Kosovo's political parties formed an all-party unity coalition anda wide elections in October 2004, the LDK and AAK formed a new governing coalition that did not include PDK and Ora.
This coalition agreement resulted in Ramush Haradnaj(AAK)becoming Prime Minister, while Ibrahim Rugova retained the position of President.PDK and Ora were critical of the coalition agreement and have since frequently accused the current government of "corruption". Ramush Haradinaj resigned the post of Prime Minister after he was indicted for war crimes, by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in March 2005. He was replaced by Bajram Kosumi (AAK)But in a political shake-up after the death of President Rugova in January 2006, Kosumi himself was replaced by former Kosova Protection Corps commander Agim Ceku.Ceku has won recognition for his outreach to minorities, but Serbia has been critical of his wartime past as military leader of the KLA and claims he is still not doing enough for Kosova Serbs.
A boy play war in the streets of Mitrovica
The Kosova Assembly elected Fatmir Sejdiu, a former LDK parliamentarian, president after Rugova's death. Slaviša Petkovic, Minister for Communities and Returns, was previously the only ethnic Serb in the government, but resigned in November 2006 amid allegations that he misused ministry funds.Today two of the total thirteen ministries in Kosova's Government have ministers from the minorities. Branislav Grbic, ethnic Serb, leads Minister of Returns and Sadik Idriz, ethnic Bošnjak, leads Ministry of Health. Parliamentary elections were held on 17 November 2007. After early results, Hashim Thaçi who was on course to gain 35 per cent of the vote, claimed victory for PDK, the Albanian Democratic Party, and stated his intention to declare independence.Thaçi has since formed a coalition with current President Fatmir Sejdiu's Democratic League which was in second place with 22 percent of the vote.The turnout at the election was particularly low with most Serbs refusing to vote.
Tensions with the ethnic Serb minority in the northern Kosova erupted into riots last month, in which a U.N. police officer was killed and dozens others were injured. NATO troops should not stay to shoulder police tasks in Kosova, the U.S.-led alliance said on Wednesday last week. as the European Union plan to take over police duties there faced months of delay.The ethnic Albanian in Kosova's government has asked the EU to take over the policing from the United Nations when Kososva declared independence from Serbia in February 17 2008, but Russia the Serbs ally, has blocked formal handover.EU officials say the diplomatic standoff has held up preparations for the mission and NATO is worried that its 16,000-plus KFOR peace keeping force, will be left to perform classic police duties such as crowd control.
Photo PropaImages Kosova/PalestineFreeVoice
propa images international photo wire agency, based in middle east
"Free Kosova" simulate a Coca Cola promotion
Hiyam Noir
The predominant religion in Kosova,Islam,mostly Sunni with a Bektashi minority,declared by most of the ethnic Albanians,the majority of the population,by the Bosnians, the Gorani, and the Turkish communities,and by some in the Roma/Ashkali/Egyptian community with a small and aging Jewish population, some other faiths, some which consider them selves atheists.
The Serb population, estimated 100,000 to 120,000 persons, is largely Serbian Orthodox. About three percent of ethnic Albanians in Kosova are Roman Catholic. The largest political party in Kosova, the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK), has its origins in the 1990s non-violent resistance movement to the Serb,Miloševic's rule. The party LDK was led by Ibrahim Rugova until his death in 2006.The two next largest parties have their roots in the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA):the Democratic Party of Kosova (PDK) led by former KLA leader Hashim Thaci and the Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK), led by former KLA commander Ramush Haradinaj.
KFOR Patrol crosses neighborhood in Mitrovica burned down after the war.The Kosova publisher, Veton Surroi formed his own political party in 2004 named "Ora." Kosova Serbs, formed the Serb List for Kosova and Metohija (SLKM) in 2004, but have boycotted Kosova's institutions and never taken their seats in the Kosova Assembly. In November 2001, the OSCE supervised the first elections for the Kosova Assembly.After that election,Kosovo's political parties formed an all-party unity coalition anda wide elections in October 2004, the LDK and AAK formed a new governing coalition that did not include PDK and Ora.
This coalition agreement resulted in Ramush Haradnaj(AAK)becoming Prime Minister, while Ibrahim Rugova retained the position of President.PDK and Ora were critical of the coalition agreement and have since frequently accused the current government of "corruption". Ramush Haradinaj resigned the post of Prime Minister after he was indicted for war crimes, by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in March 2005. He was replaced by Bajram Kosumi (AAK)But in a political shake-up after the death of President Rugova in January 2006, Kosumi himself was replaced by former Kosova Protection Corps commander Agim Ceku.Ceku has won recognition for his outreach to minorities, but Serbia has been critical of his wartime past as military leader of the KLA and claims he is still not doing enough for Kosova Serbs.
A boy play war in the streets of MitrovicaThe Kosova Assembly elected Fatmir Sejdiu, a former LDK parliamentarian, president after Rugova's death. Slaviša Petkovic, Minister for Communities and Returns, was previously the only ethnic Serb in the government, but resigned in November 2006 amid allegations that he misused ministry funds.Today two of the total thirteen ministries in Kosova's Government have ministers from the minorities. Branislav Grbic, ethnic Serb, leads Minister of Returns and Sadik Idriz, ethnic Bošnjak, leads Ministry of Health. Parliamentary elections were held on 17 November 2007. After early results, Hashim Thaçi who was on course to gain 35 per cent of the vote, claimed victory for PDK, the Albanian Democratic Party, and stated his intention to declare independence.Thaçi has since formed a coalition with current President Fatmir Sejdiu's Democratic League which was in second place with 22 percent of the vote.The turnout at the election was particularly low with most Serbs refusing to vote.
Tensions with the ethnic Serb minority in the northern Kosova erupted into riots last month, in which a U.N. police officer was killed and dozens others were injured. NATO troops should not stay to shoulder police tasks in Kosova, the U.S.-led alliance said on Wednesday last week. as the European Union plan to take over police duties there faced months of delay.The ethnic Albanian in Kosova's government has asked the EU to take over the policing from the United Nations when Kososva declared independence from Serbia in February 17 2008, but Russia the Serbs ally, has blocked formal handover.EU officials say the diplomatic standoff has held up preparations for the mission and NATO is worried that its 16,000-plus KFOR peace keeping force, will be left to perform classic police duties such as crowd control.
"We do not want KFOR to be in the position of first responder. It is not a police force and should not be in the position of being a police force,"a spokesman for the alliance said."We can ask other international organizations to play that role"
The independence of Kosova has so far been recognized by 42 countries and 1 unrecognized political entity,but has met with opposition from some of the international community.In May 20 2008 Foreign Ministries of Russia,(Serbian ally) China and India issued a joint call for negotiations.The Serbian government will propose to the United Nations General Assembly on Fall, a resolution for condemnation of independence, and its recognition by numerous countries,of the world and call for new negotiations, as well as an Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
The independence of Kosova has so far been recognized by 42 countries and 1 unrecognized political entity,but has met with opposition from some of the international community.In May 20 2008 Foreign Ministries of Russia,(Serbian ally) China and India issued a joint call for negotiations.The Serbian government will propose to the United Nations General Assembly on Fall, a resolution for condemnation of independence, and its recognition by numerous countries,of the world and call for new negotiations, as well as an Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Photo PropaImages Kosova/PalestineFreeVoice
propa images international photo wire agency, based in middle east
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