On the drive from Prishtina to our home we pass “The Heart of Kosova”, a grove of evergreens whose boundary forms the shape of a heart. This patriotic phenomena may not be known Kosova-wide, but it provides a daily opportunity to reflect on our little province in the Balkans. We are here during a year when history may be made and it’s both fascinating and tense. You should know about two important dates and pray for the second.
Elections - Saturday, November 17th
Under international supervision, the elections (every four years) for Prime Minister, parliament, municipal assemblies and mayors, was held. There were 4 – 5 major parties in contention. When the chads settled, the party that has been in power for over a decade was soundly beaten, however, the new party did not receive 50% of the vote, so they must form a coalition with the second or third place party. Afterwards, the two parties will tend to the task of filling the various government positions. Some wanted to delay these elections until Kosova’s independence is decided. Indeed, the Serbians living in Kosovo boycotted the elections. This brings us to the second important date.
Independence - Monday, December 10th
The UN Security Council announces whether it has consensus on the matter of Kosova’s independence. Russia has been saying that they will veto. Kosova leaders have said they will declare independence if the Security Council does not grant it. Many countries, including the US, are chiming in with media statements of support, caution or disapproval. The matter of Kosova being independent from Serbia is a seven year debate. Scratch the surface of this topic and you quickly hit political, ethnic and historical nerves. The Albanians we live among are simply tired of waiting. Pray for a peaceful resolution.
