Kosovo Parties Agree On New President To Avert Crisis

Atifete Jahjaga

Kosovo's governing coalition and the leading opposition party have agreed to propose a consensus candidate for the post of president to resolve a political crisis threatening new elections.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the parties agreed to back Atifete Jahjaga as the new president.

Thaci's Democratic Party (PDK) and its junior partner, the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR), reached the agreement with the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) late on April 6.

Jahjaga is a top commander in the Kosovo police that has been built up since 1999 under international supervision.

She would replace Behgjet Pacolli, whose election on February 22 was overturned by the Constitutional Court as illegal.

The Kosovo president is currently elected in parliament.

According to the deal, electoral laws would be changed to introduce direct elections in 2012.

compiled from agency reports