[ALBSA-Info] Kosovo independence demand still stands - Rugova

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Kosovo independence demand still stands - Rugova

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim 
Rugova said on Thursday his party would accept nothing less than independence 
for Kosovo despite the coming to power of pro-democracy reformers in 
Belgrade. 

The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, the territory's largest 
political force, said he welcomed the downfall of Slobodan Milosevic as 
Yugoslav president but stressed this did not change his party's stance. 

"Independence is the only solution for Kosovo," said Rugova, whose party is 
favourite to emerge as the strongest from Kosovo local elections due a week 
on Saturday. 

Milosevic, who has been indicted by a U.N. court for Serb atrocities 
committed against members of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority, was forced by 
a mass uprising to admit defeat to Vojislav Kostunica in last month's 
elections. 

Kosovo legally remains part of Serb-dominated Yugoslavia but has been run as 
a de facto international protectorate since June last year, when NATO bombing 
drove out Serb forces. 

Rugova said the West would come to recognise the desire of the overwhelming 
majority of ethnic Albanians for independence and suggested Serbian leaders 
should do the same. 

"It is clear to everybody that the independence of Kosovo is inevitable," he 
told reporters in the Kosovo capital Pristina. 

"It would certainly be good if Belgrade recognised the fact. Otherwise the 
international community will at some point recognise the independence." 

Rugova said Milosevic and his opponents in Belgrade had long shared a similar 
stance over Kosovo but added he was open to meeting Kostunica if he proved 
his democratic credentials. 

"Of course, why not meet with Kostunica? But we have to wait a little bit and 
see what direction they are taking and how democratic and pro-European those 
changes are," he said.