Serbia today urged the United Nations governor in Kosovo to annul the election of former rebel commander Mr Ramush Haradinaj as prime minister of the UN run province, because of his alleged criminal past.
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said the "unreasonable choice" of a person under UN investigation for war crimes would overshadow dialogue on the future status of Kosovo, a Serbian province run by the UN and NATO since 1999.
"Under the semblance of establishing democratic institutions a man is elected with a serious record of crimes committed, in war and in peace, which can have a negative effect on the situation in Kosovo and the stability of the region," he said.
There were 108 criminal charges against Mr Haradinaj in Serbia plus an investigation for war crimes, Mr Kostunica said, apparently referring to charges brought under the authoritarian regime of Serbian ex-strongman Slobodan Milosevic.
Making Mr Haradinaj prime minister was a "risky and provocative choice" that international institutions should not have allowed, Mr Kostunica added.
Kosovo's 90 per cent Albanian majority wants independence. Belgrade insists the territory remain part of Serbia-Montenegro.
Mr Haradinaj has said he is proud of his record in defending his people against Milosevic's repression. But he was questioned twice recently by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Despite strong speculation that he could soon be named in a war crimes indictment by Hague tribunal prosecutor Ms Carla del Ponte, Kosovo's Albanian-dominated 120-seat parliament elected Mr Haradinaj prime minister yesterday by 73 votes to three.