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| Kosovo votes in general election | Kosovo votes in general election |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| People in Kosovo have started voting in a general election, as uncertainty over the status of the province continues. | |
| One hundred of the 120 seats in the provincial assembly are reserved for the majority ethnic Albanians, and the rest for Serbs and other minorities. | One hundred of the 120 seats in the provincial assembly are reserved for the majority ethnic Albanians, and the rest for Serbs and other minorities. |
| Mayoral elections are also being held. Kosovo is formally part of Serbia but has been run by the UN since 1999. | Mayoral elections are also being held. Kosovo is formally part of Serbia but has been run by the UN since 1999. |
| Ethnic Albanians, backed by the US and others, want independence but Serbia, supported by Russia, is against it. | Ethnic Albanians, backed by the US and others, want independence but Serbia, supported by Russia, is against it. |
| The Belgrade government has called on Kosovo's Serbs to boycott Saturday's polls, so as not to legitimise a government which may soon decide to break away from Serbia, says the BBC's Nick Hawton in Pristina, the Kosovan capital. | The Belgrade government has called on Kosovo's Serbs to boycott Saturday's polls, so as not to legitimise a government which may soon decide to break away from Serbia, says the BBC's Nick Hawton in Pristina, the Kosovan capital. |
| Some 150 Council of Europe observers are monitoring voting across the province. | Some 150 Council of Europe observers are monitoring voting across the province. |
| The UN Security Council has not taken a vote on the issue of Kosovo's future because Russia has indicated it would block it. | The UN Security Council has not taken a vote on the issue of Kosovo's future because Russia has indicated it would block it. |
| However, a deadline of 10 December has been set for status talks to be concluded. | However, a deadline of 10 December has been set for status talks to be concluded. |
| Kosovo Albanians have expressed frustration at the slow progress, and have threatened to unilaterally declare independence immediately afterwards. | Kosovo Albanians have expressed frustration at the slow progress, and have threatened to unilaterally declare independence immediately afterwards. |
| The UN has administered Kosovo since a Nato bombing campaign forced out Serbian troops in 1999. | The UN has administered Kosovo since a Nato bombing campaign forced out Serbian troops in 1999. |
| Nato maintains troops in the province and boosted their numbers ahead of the vote, amid fears tensions between the communities might spill over. |