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17 Nov, 2007 18:27

Kosovo election to fail?

Polls have closed in a parliamentary election in Kosovo. Voting is unlikely to help resolve the independence issue of Serbia's breakaway republic. Almost the entire ethnic Serb minority boycotted the election.

Many breakaway republic's residents hope the newly elected deputies will lead them to independence: all the candidates have pledged to declare independence for Kosovo if elected.

However, the international community is not expected to recognise any moves made unilaterally.

Turnout is said to have been low across the province, especially in the predominantly ethnic Serb areas. Despite expectations, and requests from Belgrade, some in the minority Serb community did turn out to vote on Saturday.

Local news agencies are reporting minor disturbances across Kosovo.

Reports emerged on Friday night of Molotov cocktails being thrown at the home of Stojanka Petrovic, a Serbian politician living in the northern part of Kosovo.

In a separate incident close to the Macedonian border, 15 ballot boxes were burned at a school ahead of the polls opening.

It's less than a month until the UN deadline for mediators to reach a decision aboout the province's future. All of the main parties taking part in the election have promised to declare independence.

Russia insists the solution to Kosovo’s status should be agreed and accepted by both sides.

It’s the third time that Kosovo voters have gone to the polls since 1999, when Serbia was put under United Nations Administration.

Serbian leaders called for the Serb minority in Kosovo, who make up about 100,000 people, to boycott what they regard to be a mono-ethnic election.

“We believe that these elections are a farce and we call on all the citizens of Kosovo to boycott these elections and in this way to resist to be deceived once more,” Albin Kurti, the Leader of Self Determination youth movement, said.

And it seems that the majority of Serbs living in Kosovo don't need much persuasion.

“For me Kosovo is not a state, therefore these elections do not exist. Kosovo is part of Serbia, and I will never vote in their elections,” one of them says.

The Russian-backed Serbian government reiterated they will not recognise any independence of Kosovo.

The so-called Troika mediators, made up of the U.S., EU and Russia, are preparing the report on the disputed territory's status by December 10.

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