Violence Erupts as Kosovo Parliament Set to Decide President

Ahead of the election of a new President of Kosovo, opposition parties have urged their supporters to gather in front of parliament, where they have been sleeping in tents as part of their campaign to force the government to resign.

Members of the Assembly are due to vote on Friday for a new President of Kosovo with Hashim Thaci, the Foreign Minister and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, as the favourite candidate.

Reports emerged from the PDK camp that Thaci supporters from his stronghold in the Drenica region planned to travel to Pristina on Friday to celebrate his election, which added to worries about possible clashes in Pristina.

Late on Thursday Thaci denied such claims, however.

"Some celebrate, some others protest at the same time? There is an interest among citizens in coming [to celebrate] and we will respond to it coolly and calmly," he said.

Police officials told BIRN that they were ready to meet any trouble. "The police have undertaken all necessary preparations to provide security and public order during the Assembly session and to manage the protests expected to be held by other parties," spokesperson Daut Hoxha said.

A PDK MP, Xhavit Haliti, on Thursday urged both sides to play down talk of unrest.

"It is understandable that one side will celebrate and the other side will be upset. But I would call on both sides to avoid confrontations," Haliti said.

The special parliamentary session tasked with electing the President was summoned on Wednesday amid tear gas thrown during the meeting by an opposition member.

Ramush Haradinaj, head of the opposition Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, on Thursday voiced his party's bitter objections to the Friday's session and to the...