Serbs furious at Ceku nomination

SERBIA: Belgrade has urged the United Nations to prevent a former guerrilla commander becoming prime minister of Kosovo, as the mostly ethnic-Albanian region tries to win independence from Serbia.

But senior UN and US officials have sought to allay Serb anger over Agim Ceku's nomination, which Kosovo's parliament is likely to vote on this week, amid preparations for the next round of talks on Kosovo's final status on March 17th.

"The government of Serbia demands that the UN secretary general's special representative, Soren Jessen-Petersen . . . prevents the election of Agim Ceku," Belgrade said in an appeal to the top UN official in Kosovo.

Mr Ceku (45) was nominated to succeed Bajram Kosumi, who resigned under domestic and international pressure after a shaky performance as premier at a crucial time for his homeland.

Kosovo's parliament is expected to approve the appointment of the popular Mr Ceku, but Belgrade is furious that a man who is wanted in Serbia for alleged war crimes may be about to lead the restive province's fight for independence.

"Bearing in mind the procedures launched before our courts and an international arrest warrant . . . we expect the international community to meet its responsibility in this matter," said Serbian prime minister Vojislav Kostunica.

Mr Ceku was an army captain before siding with Croatia in the wars that dismembered Yugoslavia from 1991-95, when he was decorated nine times and became a brigadier-general for his role fighting Serb forces.

He became a commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in 1999 during an uprising against Belgrade's rule that prompted a brutal response from Serb troops, until Nato bombing forced them to withdraw from the region in June that year.

Serbia indicted Mr Ceku in 2002 for alleged atrocities committed during his time with the Croatian army and the KLA, and he was later detained in Hungary and Slovenia.

Released without charge both times, he denies the allegations, but remains a hate figure among Kosovo's Serbs.

But western diplomats insist Mr Ceku's strong popular mandate will allow him to craft the stable and multiethnic society demanded by the UN, and the chief negotiator in status talks seemed sanguine about his nomination.

"Political parties have the right to organise their work as they like," said former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. "My task is to deal with the government that happens to be there."