Kosovo gets new government, president

The Kosovo assembly has elected the new Kosovo government which will be led by Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Hashim Thaci. New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) leader Behgjet Pacolli is the new president. Kosovo gets new government, president Serbian representatives will head three ministries out of 18. Independent Liberal Party (SLS) leader Slobodan Petrovic is one of five deputy prime ministers. The Kosovo assembly late last night finally put an end to a painstaking process which started in December when parliamentary elections were held. Pacolli was elected in the third and a very tight vote. If he had not been elected, the assembly would have been dissolved and early parliamentary elections would have been called in the next 45 days. Addressing the MPs, Pacolli said that he would work in the interest of all Kosovo citizens. Voting for the new Kosovo government on the other hand went smoothly since 65 out of 67 MPs voted for it. Serbs will run the Return and Communities Ministry, the Local Self-Government Ministry and the Labor and Social Welfare Ministry. Petrovic will be the first Serbian deputy prime minister since the war. Unlike majority of Serbian MPs who voted for the new Kosovo president and the government, United Serb List MP Rada Trajkovic was the only one who voted against Thaci's new government. New crisis was, however, announced during the assembly session. Three main opposition parties, The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Self-Determination Movement opposed Pacolli running for president and the new government and therefore left the meeting, causing possible headache to the ruling coalition which struggled to ensure a tight majority in the assembly. Hashim Thaci (FoNet, file)

Kosovo gets new government, president

Serbian representatives will head three ministries out of 18. Independent Liberal Party (SLS) leader Slobodan Petrović is one of five deputy prime ministers.

The Kosovo assembly late last night finally put an end to a painstaking process which started in December when parliamentary elections were held.

Pacolli was elected in the third and a very tight vote. If he had not been elected, the assembly would have been dissolved and early parliamentary elections would have been called in the next 45 days.

Addressing the MPs, Pacolli said that he would work in the interest of all Kosovo citizens.

Voting for the new Kosovo government on the other hand went smoothly since 65 out of 67 MPs voted for it.

Serbs will run the Return and Communities Ministry, the Local Self-Government Ministry and the Labor and Social Welfare Ministry. Petrović will be the first Serbian deputy prime minister since the war.

Unlike majority of Serbian MPs who voted for the new Kosovo president and the government, United Serb List MP Rada Trajković was the only one who voted against Thaci's new government.

New crisis was, however, announced during the assembly session. Three main opposition parties, The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Self-Determination Movement opposed Pacolli running for president and the new government and therefore left the meeting, causing possible headache to the ruling coalition which struggled to ensure a tight majority in the assembly.