War crimes suspect chosen as Kosovar PM

A FORMER rebel commander who was recently was questioned by UN war crimes investigators was yesterday chosen to be prime minister of Kosovo.

The parliament in Pristina voted 72 votes to 3 for Ramush Haradinaj, a 36-year-old ethnic Albanian, to head the new government, ignoring concerns that the move could add to the province’s tensions.

Members of the second-biggest party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo abstained.

Western officials were concerned about Mr Haradinaj’s election to the post, fearing that he may be indicted for war crimes by a UN tribunal.

The formation of the new government follows a deal struck nearly two weeks ago between the Democratic League of Kosovo, led by president Ibrahim Rugova, the winner of the province’s general elections, and the much smaller Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, led by Mr Haradinaj, which came in third.

Mr Rugova’s party won 45% of the vote, but failed to gain the absolute majority needed to govern alone in this UN-run province. The smaller alliance garnered 8%.

Kosovo has been administered by the UN since June 1999, following a Nato air war that halted a crackdown by Serb forces on Albanians. Mr Haradinaj, a stocky and energetic rebel commander-turned-politician, came to prominence while commanding the rebels of the Kosovo Liberation Army during that war.