(Corr) Kosovo Poll As Seen By Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin Media

(Correcting the third paragraph under Bosnia-Hercegovina to clarify that Milorad Dodik was interviewed by Belgrade-based Enter TV and was not speaking at a press conference)

Croatia

State-run Zagreb radio reports on the opening of the polling stations in Kosovo’s parliamentary and municipal elections on 17 November in the foreign news section of its 0800 gmt bulletin , saying that all Albanian parties have promised to win independence from Serbia and that all Kosovo Serbs are likely to boycott the poll.

The midday bulletin features a correspondent’s report from Pristina saying: “The snow, cold weather, as well as the Serb boycott, are hindering the smooth flow of the election”, adding that the Serb boycott shows that they have “clearly listened to their government”. A later newscast cites the OSCE envoy as commenting on the boycott by saying “We all know” this has something to do with the position of the Serbian government.

The next day the radio reports on Hashim Thaci’s PDK emerging victorious, but wonders what the future political scene will be like, as Thaci’s government will need political consensus to solve the most important issue of all – independence. It also reports on the Serb boycott, saying that the local Serbs did not want to “give legitimacy to the institutions of an independent Kosovo”.

On 17 November, eight minutes into its central news bulletin, Croatian TV carries a three-minute correspondent’s report on the subject. Reporter Zeljko Valjcic said that the overwhelming majority of the voters were Albanians, because “as we know” the Serbs boycotted the polls, which they see as “irrelevant and illegitimate”. He said the atmosphere was “democratic”, adding that “everything was calm and there were no problems”.

Meanwhile, the best-selling tabloid Vecernji list writes in an article headlined “Kosovo elections overshadowed by decision on independence” that it is an open question whether the parties which go over the 5-per-cent threshold to enter parliament will manage to form a new government by 10 December, the deadline for Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement on Kosovo’s status. “All Kosovo Albanian parties have promised independence in their election campaign,” it writes.

The privately-owned daily Jutarnji list carries a similar report, saying that “Almost all Albanian leaders said during the voting today that the elections prove Kosovo’s maturity. The future parliament and government will be obliged to declare independence”.

Under the headline “Kosovo awaits who will pull the trigger first”, the independent Novi list of Rijeka says that both Albanians and Serbs are “sabre-rattling”. “Radio stations in Belgrade are telling Serbs that `anyone who takes part in the elections needs to have his head examined’”, it adds.

The main Dalmatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija focuses on the Serb boycott, saying that “In the first few hours of voting, there were no Kosovo Serbs at the polling stations”.

Bosnia-Hercegovina

State broadcaster BH Radio 1 opens it 0800 gmt news bulletin with a factual report on Thaci’s victory followed by a comment on why the opposition PDK has won the election. It says that Thaci’s promise to increase salaries, create new jobs and solve everyday problems of citizens was what secured the decisive votes. The radio also lays emphasis on the Serb boycott and the “record low” turnout.

State-run TV has a report on the election as the second item in its central newscast, also giving prominence to the Serb boycott and arguing that these elections are “the key to independence”.

Under the headline “Declaring Kosovo independent will influence Serb Republic’s policy”, the main Muslim daily Dnevni avaz reports on an interview by Serb Premier Milorad Dodik with Belgrade-based Enter TV on 16 November, in which he was asked whether the Bosnian Serb entity might consider breaking away if Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Dodik replied that it was impossible to say when this might happen, but that it “would be difficult to explain to Serb Republic citizens why similar situations were being solved differently”. He added that most people would like to see the Serb Republic “outside Bosnia-Hercegovina”.

The independent Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje uses the above statement as the headline for its report on the same topic. The paper quotes Dodik as saying that Kosovo’s independence would certainly influence public opinion in the Serb Republic, adding that no-one would be able to stop this. “The question is what sort of influence this will have, but it must be political influence and there must be no use of force,” he said, according to the paper.

Montenegro

State TV has a report on the election in its 1100 gmt news bulletin on 17 November, saying the polling stations have opened with no incidents reported, the Serbs boycotting the poll, and UNMIK saying its would set up mobile polling stations in areas where voting is either boycotted or not allowed. The report is superimposed on footage of the voting process. A later news bulletin features Thaci’s comments after casting his ballot, a joint message from Albanian leaders promising that independence would be achieved, and ORA party Veton Surroi’s remark that “this is an important day for Kosovo, a day to demonstrate the ability to build institutions”.

The central news bulletin at 1830 gmt has a report on the election as the second item emphasizing that many Albanians turned out to vote, “while the number of the Serbs who voted is negligible”. The remainder of the report deals with the election system, background and shows footage from polling stations in various towns. It says that the elections are held at a time when Kosovo Albanians and Serbs are holding talks on Kosovo’s future status, with all Albanian political parties promising “to create an independent Kosovo”. The reporter points out that the Albanians are certain that whoever wins will form a government “ready to declare independence”. Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu is quoted as saying that with these elections Kosovo is “opening a new democratic chapter”. The Serb boycott is given prominence, with remarks by a Serb that they are not interested in the elections because they are not elections of “their country Serbia”, to which they “belong”. UNMIK chief Ruecker is said to have criticized the boycott, telling Serbs that they are only harming themselves, not the Albanians or the international community.

Originally published by BBC Monitoring research 18 Nov 07.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring European. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.