Kosovo's new Constitution went into forceJune 16, 2008 - 19:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Kosovo's new Constitution went into force Sunday, an important milestone on its path toward full-fledged statehood. But a simmering dispute over who has authority over this land threatens to destabilize the newborn country and plunge the Balkans into crisis.The Constitution envisions handing over executive power to the majority ethnic Albanian government from the United Nations, which has administered the province for the past nine years after NATO intervened in 1999 to halt Slobodan Milosevic's repression of ethnic Albanians. It comes four months after Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, the culmination of a long and bloody struggle for national self-determination, the IHT reports. But even as Kosovo's president, Fatmir Sejdiu, on Sunday lauded the "historic" launching of the document ahead of what was expected to be a low-key ceremony in Pristina, the introduction of the Constitution threatened to unleash tensions in a territory where the international community is already struggling to maintain a fragile peace between the country's 2-million-strong ethnic Albanian majority and its more than 100,000 minority Serbs. The two communities lead parallel but separate lives, with Serbs living in segregated enclaves surrounded by ethnic Albanians, creating an atmosphere of mutual suspicion, if not resentment. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, with the backing of the United States and the European Union, and has since been recognized by some 40 countries. But Belgrade and its ally Moscow are vehemently opposed to Kosovo's independence, which they regard as a reckless breach of international law. For now, Kosovo remains the poor adopted orphan of the West, its security guaranteed by 16,000 NATO troops. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |