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| Kosovo: Weak economy the key issue in snap elections | Kosovo: Weak economy the key issue in snap elections |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Voting has ended in Kosovo's snap elections called last month after Prime Minister Isa Mustafa lost a confidence vote. | |
| The new government will have to tackle high unemployment, improve the economy and develop better relations with its neighbours. | The new government will have to tackle high unemployment, improve the economy and develop better relations with its neighbours. |
| Opinion polls suggest Mr Mustafa's bloc is trailing a coalition led by a former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. | Opinion polls suggest Mr Mustafa's bloc is trailing a coalition led by a former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. |
| A victory for Mr Haradinaj would complicate relations with Serbia. | A victory for Mr Haradinaj would complicate relations with Serbia. |
| It has issued an international arrest warrant for him for alleged war crimes. | It has issued an international arrest warrant for him for alleged war crimes. |
| Mr Haradinaj served as a commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army during the war with Serbia in 1998 and 1999. | |
| He has been tried and acquitted twice at the UN tribunal at The Hague, although Serbia said it had further evidence involving civilian murders. | |
| Mr Haradinaj has consistently denied the allegations, and stepped down as prime minister after just 100 days to face the charges. | |
| Serbia has repeatedly warned it will defend "every inch" of what it claims as its territory in neighbouring Kosovo. | Serbia has repeatedly warned it will defend "every inch" of what it claims as its territory in neighbouring Kosovo. |
| Historically a province of Serbia, Kosovo declared independence in 2008. It is recognised by the US and most EU countries but not by Serbia or its ally Russia. | Historically a province of Serbia, Kosovo declared independence in 2008. It is recognised by the US and most EU countries but not by Serbia or its ally Russia. |
| About 1.9 million Kosovars were registered to vote in the third vote since independence. Nearly half a million voters live abroad. | |
| Kosovo profile | Kosovo profile |
| New court to try suspects of war crimes committed in Kosovo (video) | New court to try suspects of war crimes committed in Kosovo (video) |
| One of the top priorities for any new government will be to reduce unemployment, which is running at 30%, and lower tensions with Serbia, a pre-condition for both countries before they can join the European Union. | One of the top priorities for any new government will be to reduce unemployment, which is running at 30%, and lower tensions with Serbia, a pre-condition for both countries before they can join the European Union. |
| The West believes that the incorporation of Western Balkan countries in the EU is the most effective way of stabilising a region blighted by war throughout the 1990s. | The West believes that the incorporation of Western Balkan countries in the EU is the most effective way of stabilising a region blighted by war throughout the 1990s. |
| Kosovo has had a constant Nato peacekeeping force since 1999. | Kosovo has had a constant Nato peacekeeping force since 1999. |
| Kosovo and Serbia - key recent dates | Kosovo and Serbia - key recent dates |
| 1991 - Start of the violent break-up of Yugoslavia | 1991 - Start of the violent break-up of Yugoslavia |
| 1996 - Rebel Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) steps up attacks on Serbian authorities in Kosovo - met with a Serbian crackdown | 1996 - Rebel Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) steps up attacks on Serbian authorities in Kosovo - met with a Serbian crackdown |
| 1999 - Nato bombs Serbian targets - Yugoslav and Serbian forces respond with ethnic cleansing against Kosovo Albanians but withdraw from Kosovo after a peace agreement | 1999 - Nato bombs Serbian targets - Yugoslav and Serbian forces respond with ethnic cleansing against Kosovo Albanians but withdraw from Kosovo after a peace agreement |
| 2008 - Kosovo unilaterally declares independence. | 2008 - Kosovo unilaterally declares independence. |