Thaci wins, likely to team up with LDK

Hashim Thaci's PDK has won the province's parliamentary election, election monitors have confirmed. Beta news agency reported late Sunday that with the votes counted from 90 percent of the polling stations, the Democracy in Action group said Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) was leading with 34 percent, beating the once-dominant Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), which finished in second place with 22 percent of the votes. Thaci wins, likely to team up with LDK The result of the election held on November 17 confirmed the collapse of the Democratic League of Kosovo vote from 45 percent in 2004. It put Thaci in a position to lead what is expected to be a PDK-LDK grand coalition. The 120,000-strong Serb minority boycotted the vote, under orders from Belgrade not to legitimize a parliament threatening to declare independence. According to the data of the Central Electoral Commission, between 40 and 45 percent of the voters turned out at the Kosovo elections. The preliminary results of the elections will be known in two or three days and the final results at the end of November. About 1.5 million voters in Kosovo on November 17 cast ballots for 120 representatives, of which 20 spots are reserved for members of minorities, 10 for Serbs and 10 for the other minority communities. Also elected were council members and the heads of 30 Kosovo municipalities. The Council of Europe said the elections were in line with European standards, but it was troubled by the low voter turnout of 43 percent, the AP reported. "We are alarmed by the very low turnout and we have to ask ourselves why it is so low," said Doris Pack, a member of the council's 150-member monitoring team. She said it was a reflection of the population's disappointment with elected officials.

Thaci wins, likely to team up with LDK

The result of the election held on November 17 confirmed the collapse of the Democratic League of Kosovo vote from 45 percent in 2004. It put Thaci in a position to lead what is expected to be a PDK-LDK grand coalition.

The 120,000-strong Serb minority boycotted the vote, under orders from Belgrade not to legitimize a parliament threatening to declare independence.

According to the data of the Central Electoral Commission, between 40 and 45 percent of the voters turned out at the Kosovo elections.

The preliminary results of the elections will be known in two or three days and the final results at the end of November.

About 1.5 million voters in Kosovo on November 17 cast ballots for 120 representatives, of which 20 spots are reserved for members of minorities, 10 for Serbs and 10 for the other minority communities.

Also elected were council members and the heads of 30 Kosovo municipalities.

The Council of Europe said the elections were in line with European standards, but it was troubled by the low voter turnout of 43 percent, the AP reported.

"We are alarmed by the very low turnout and we have to ask ourselves why it is so low," said Doris Pack, a member of the council's 150-member monitoring team. She said it was a reflection of the population's disappointment with elected officials.