Kosovo Celebrates Obama’s Election Win

Pristina _ Kosovo’s dailies have hailed the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States while Kosovo’s Prime Minister has congratulated the President-elect on his ‘historic’ victory.

The name ‘Obama’ was plastered over the front page of Kosovo daily, Epoke e Re, praising the election of the first African-American candidate to the helm of the White House.

The daily Express went with the headline ‘American Blessing’ referring to the fact that the name ‘Barack’ can be derived for the Arabic word for ‘blessing.’

Kosovo’s senior politicians have hailed the elections in a country that was among the first to recognise its February 17 declaration of independence from Serbia.

In the letter sent to Obama, Kosovo’s Premier Hashim Thaci, congratulated the Democrat candidate on his victory in what he called “historic elections.”

“The election of the 44th American president showed a noble electoral campaign and displayed the best democratic values of the United States,” says Kosovo’s Prime Minister in his letter sent to the President-elect.

Thaci pledged to Obama that Kosovo will always remain a key partner in fostering peace and democracy.

Kosovo’s President Fatmir Sejdiu also commented on the “extraordinary electoral campaign.”

“This is a verdict of the American citizens. A dignified electoral camping showed how citizens can become active in choosing their leader,” said Sejdiu at Pristina’s International Airport as he returned from his first landmark visit to Albania. 

Sejdiu repeated his position on the importance of the outgoing US administration played in Kosovo’s future.

“I also want to show my highest consideration for (Republican rival) Senator John McCain on the way he proceeded with the elections,” added Sejdiu.

Earlier at a US Embassy event in Pristina, Washington’s ambassador to Kosovo had said regardless of who wins the election, US support for Kosovo will remain.

“US support on Kosovo shall not be questioned as the US will continue its full support for Kosovo’s democratic institutions”, said Tina Kaidanow.

Meanwhile US expatriates in Pristina thronged Kosovo’s bars and cafes grabbing the best seats in front of big television screens to watch a night of rolling coverage from US networks.

There was a subdued energy at international hotspot 91, with every single US expat there keen to acknowledge they had voted, although tight-lipped on who they had voted for.

In fact, the correspondent’s question on who they had voted for was met with the answer “well, who do you think?” – surely a passing reference to the fact that in some ways this race was already a done deal.

Meanwhile at Pristina’s trendy outfit, the Strip Depo, people there were simply content with saying they had voted for ‘change’ – seemingly that was enough to describe who your vote had gone to.

Pristina’s love for all things American was easily evident among Kosovars too.

While it was the Republican administration of George W. Bush that pushed for Kosovo’s independence, Kosovars point out it was the Democrat administration of Bill Clinton which in 1999 urged NATO strikes on Serbia to halt the conflict between Serb forces and Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority.

There was hope that this election had sealed a bond of liberty, in more ways than one, between Kosovo’s Albanians and the people of the United States.