Kosovo Parliament fails to elect new President after tear gas chaos

Kosovo's parliament has failed to elect a new president in the first round of voting, which came after proceedings were disrupted when tear gas canisters were opened on the opposition benches.

The main contender, foreign minister Hashim Thaci, got only 50 votes among the 81 politicians that were present. His opponent Rafet Rama, also from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, won four votes and 27 other votes were declared invalid.

A candidate would need at least 80 votes in either of the first two voting sessions or 61 in the third to win. Without such support, parliament will be dissolved and new elections held within 45 days.

The voting in the 120-seat parliament was held without opposition politicians, many of whom were forced out before or suspended from participation after disrupting the work with tear gas.

Many leading figures within the opposition were partners with Mr Thaci - a former guerrilla leader - during the war but later turned against him, accusing him of being power-hungry and corrupt.

Critics also say Mr Thaci, who led the fighters of Kosovo's successful separatist war against Serbia in 1998-99, is not a unifying individual, which is what the Kosovo constitution...