Kosovo parliament sits for first time

Kosovo's parliament sat today for the first time since last November's election with the main parties still trying to form a …

Kosovo's parliament sat today for the first time since last November's election with the main parties still trying to form a coalition to lead the province to independence from Serbia.

Kosovo Albanian leaders say the assembly will declare the UN-run territory's secession within the first months of 2008, counting on the major Western powers to overrule opposition from Serbia and Russia and recognise the new state.

But it is still without a government, seven weeks after the Democratic Party of Hashim Thaci beat the once-dominant Democratic League of Kosovo into second place in Kosovo's third parliamentary election since the 1998-99 war.

Rivals since the conflict, the two have agreed in principle to form a "grand coalition" with former guerrilla Mr Thaci as prime minister, but they have yet to divide cabinet posts or name their ministers.

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Western diplomats back an alliance of the two as the best choice to steer Kosovo - 90 per cent populated by Albanians.

Mr Thaci said he expected to form a government by next Wednesday.

The two parties together hold 62 seats in the 120-seat assembly, and differ little on the question of independence.