Opposition Democratic Party topping Kosovo poll

PRISTINA, Serbia, Nov 17 (Reuters) Kosovo's opposition Democratic Party (PDK) was leading a parliamentary election yesterday after a ballot marred by record low turnout and a Serb boycott to protest against Albanian independence plans.

Unofficial figures from more than half of 2,323 polling stations showed former guerrilla Hashim Thaci's PDK winning a majority, ahead of five other ethnic Albanian parties but well short of forming a government on its own.

All back a quick move to independence from Serbia for the breakaway province, which has been under United Nations rule and NATO protection since 1999.

But in a sign that many voters see little difference in their ability to improve daily life beyond a declaration of statehood, less than half the electorate of some 1.5 million turned out to vote, the lowest showing since the 1998-99 war.

''This is not about independence. Turnout was low because people are depressed. This is about the economic situation -- no water, no electricity, no jobs,'' said analyst Berat Buzhala of the daily Express.

United Nations administrator Joachim Ruecker and election commission chief Mazllum Baraliu said turnout was likely to be ''between 40 and 45 per cent''.

The vote was also marred by an overwhelming boycott by the Serb minority, under orders from Belgrade not to legitimise a parliament threatening to declare independence within weeks.

''These elections are not about Kosovo's status,'' said Thaci, who is favourite to become prime minister. ''We will declare independence immediately after December 10.'' That is the date for a report by Russian, United States and European Union mediators on efforts to find a compromise between Serbia and Kosovo's 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority.

There is still no glimmer of a deal. Two negotiating sessions are set for Brussels and Vienna in the coming week.

Political analyst Agron Bajrami said low Albanian turnout suggested ''people have grown tired over the past eight years with the lack of status or progress in their everyday lives''.

''Most of the parties ... have not convinced voters they have a solution to a situation most people consider a crisis.'' NO HAGGLING, PLEASE Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku, a former guerrilla commander who is stepping down, warned political parties not to indulge in prolonged haggling over a coalition, but to concentrate on preparing for independence in the coming weeks.

Kosovo guerrillas took up arms in 1998 to end a decade of repression under late Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic, whose brutal response put almost 1 million civilians to flight and triggered NATO intervention in 1999 and an era of UN control.

The election for the 120-seat Kosovo parliament is the third since then. The campaign was dominated by party pledges to tackle 60 per cent unemployment, minimal foreign investment and rampant corruption. The bid for statehood was never in question.

Whatever the result, all four main parties have committed to unilaterally declare an independent republic. Diplomats expect it to come within weeks, not days, of the mediators' report despite Thaci's rhetoric.

Assuming he wins a majority, Thaci may have to form a coalition with the Democratic League of Kosovo which was the biggest party in the outgoing governing coalition plus one of the smaller parties.

They would hope to create a new government before the mediators hand in their report, and are counting on recognition of independence by the major Western powers.

Serbia's ally Russia has blocked a Western-endorsed proposal for EU-supervised independence in the UN Security Council. But plans for an EU mission in Kosovo are going ahead.

REUTERS PY RN2047