WHAT’S THE STORY?
HE is wanted by Serbia for alleged war crimes during the devastating Balkans conflict.
Now, a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) looks set to become the Kosovan prime minister as his country votes on its future.
Controversial Ramush Haradinaj, of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, heads the centre-right coalition of parties that emerged from the bloody conflict with Serbia in the late 1990s.
The alliance has taken around one third of the vote in the country’s national election, according to its Central Election Commission, putting Haradinaj on course for his second stint in the top job.
He served just 100 days as prime minister following the 2004 election, stepping down after he was indicted on war crimes charges and put on trial at The Hague.
WHAT WAS HE ACCUSED OF?
HARADINAJ was one of three men accused of killing and torturing Serbs in an area in Western Kosovo during the conflict.
He and one of the others were acquitted of 37 charges – including murder, rape, torture and persecution – in 2008, while their associate was given a six-year jail term.
However, a re-trial was ordered and the trio faced allegations of war crimes. At its conclusion in 2012, judge Bakone Moloto said there was “no credible evidence” that Haradinaj had taken part in atrocities, or had known about certain abuses.
Moloto also said the court had heard that Haradinaj had tried to end mistreatment of one person and spoke out against such acts, telling others they were “damaging our cause”.
After the verdict it emerged that senior lawyers had warned against the prosecution due to a lack of evidence and Ben Emmerson, acting for Haradinaj, indicated that he intended to regain “his rightful position as the political leader of the country”.
WHAT DOES SERBIA SAY?
SERBIA is yet to recognise Kosovo’s sovereignty, which it asserted in a 2008 declaration of independence.
Aleksandar Vucic, president of Serbia, has described Haradinaj’s coalition as “the same group that most openly threatened Serbs,” adding: “That will create a lot of problems.”
Haradinaj was arrested by French police in January on a Serbian warrant after the country said it had fresh evidence of crimes committed during his time as KLA commander.
However, a court in the north-east of the country refused to extradite him, saying that it did not believe the politician would receive a fair trial.
At the time, Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci called that decision “good news” for the country, as well as for Haradinaj’s family.
WHAT DOES HARADINAJ PROMISE VOTERS?
THE offer includes a “new beginning” for the 1.9 million-strong population, which was run by the UN until 2008 as it recovered from a brutal war fought along ethnic lines.
The country became part of the Yugoslav federation in 1946 and its autonomous status was recognised in the constitution 30 years later, when it gained self-government.
However, this was removed by Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic in 1990, when Serbian administration was introduced.
With unemployment standing at around 30 per cent, Haradinaj also says he will boost the economy and convince the European Union to give visa-free movement to Kosovars within just 90 days of his administration.
WHO ELSE IS IN THE RUNNING?
ACCORDING to the Central Election Commission, the nationalist Movement for Self-determination – which previously released tear gas in the parliament – has secured 27 per cent of the vote, with its ex-leader Albin Kurti also nominated for prime minister.
Meanwhile, a coalition led by outgoing prime minister Isa Mustafa, head of the Democratic League of Kosovo, is on 26 per cent.
The final results will be announced later this week and a new alliance is expected as no group can govern alone. A total of 20 of the parliament’s 120 seats will go to ethnic Serbs and other minorities.
The new cabinet will have to tackle a number of difficult issues, including border demarcation with neighbouring Montenegro – a condition stipulated by Brussels in order for Kosovo’s inclusion in the Schengen Zone.
Further indictments for war crimes against civilians during and after the war are expected against former senior rebel commanders from the ethnic Albanian group to which Haradinaj belongs.
Speaking at a rally in capital city Pristina, he told supporters: “We know that there is a lot of work ahead of us. But we are going to achieve them together”.
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