Kosovo assembly elects new government

Kosovo assembly elects new government

PRIŠTINA -- The Kosovo assembly elected a new government on Tuesday, headed by the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo leader Isa Mustafa.

73 were in favor, 30 against, and two abstained.

Three deputy prime ministers were also elected, including one from the Serb List, Mayor of Gracanica Branimir Stojanovic, who has no portfolio. The other two are Hashim Thaci and Kujtim Shala.

Also from the Serb List, Aleksandar Jablanovic is the new minister of return and communities, and Ljubomir Maric is heading the Ministry of Local Self-Government.

The Serb (Srpska) List assembly members on Monday "boycotted the session" because "the Serb community's demands had not been met."

Those were listed as, "the return of Serbs to Kosovo, protection of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the return of illegally seized property and the annulment of illegal privatization in Serbian communities."

Aleksandar Jablanovic told the Beta agency on Monday that the ticket's caucus was "united despite certain disputes with Independent Liberal Party leader Slobodan Petrovic, who had protested over not being a candidate for the post of assembly speaker."

In his address to the assembly, Mustafa said that the goal of the new government would be "to meet all the requirements for Kosovo to become a member of the United Nations and other international forums and to normalize relations with Belgrade."

He said that the new government would be "strongly lobbying for new recognitions and work towards persuading the remaining five EU member states that had not yet recognized Kosovo's independence to do so, as well as work towards normalizing relations with Belgrade...