Kosovo President Sejdiu resigns

Sep 27, 2010, 14:22 GMT

   Pristina - Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said Monday that he was would step down, in the wake of a court ruling that found he violated the constitution by holding several posts.

   'Dear citizens of Kosovo, I have resigned today as president of Kosovo,' he said in a prepared statement.

   The Kosovo Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that Sejdiu broke the law because he remained the leader of his Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) after becoming president in February 2006. The court acted on a June petition by opposition members of the parliament.

   Sejdiu said that he believes he 'did not violate the constitution, but the Constitutional Court saw it differently.' He said he was stepping down out of respect for the ruling.

   The resignation comes a year ahead of general elections in Kosovo, which were to include a vote for the new president. It also comes as Sejdiu has struggled to keep the LDK under control amid internal dissension

   Pristina and Belgrade are expected to open direct negotiations, under the auspices of the European Union, for the first time since Kosovo declared its secession from Serbia.

   Though he pressed for independence as relentlessly as any other politician from the Albanian majority, Sejdiu is regarded as a moderate among Kosovo leaders.

   Unlike Serbia, Kosovo and major Western powers regard Kosovo's status a resolved issue. They envisage talks on issues such as border controls, trade and organized crime.