Kosovo mourns murdered mayor

Bytyci tried to calm a dispute between rival supporters

A day of mourning is being observed in Kosovo after an ethnic Albanian local mayor and two companions were shot dead on Sunday.

The killings took place in the town of Suva Reka, during a dispute between supporters of two rival political parties - a day after municipal elections were held in the United Nations-administered province.

Mayor Uke Bytyci - who was a senior official in the province's leading party, the Democratic League of Kosovo - was shot while apparently appealing for calm. The UN interim administration in Kosovo condemned the killing as a callous act.

Full official results for the polls - which were marked by voter apathy and a low turnout by minority Serbs - are not expected until later in the week.

The province's president, Ibrahim Rugova, and his LDK party appear to have lost some ground to parties headed by former rebel leaders, according to provisional figures.

Less than 55% of eligible voters took part, according to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which supervised Saturday's poll.

It was the second municipal election since Kosovo came under United Nations administration in 1999 - and the first in which the minority Serbs participated.

Serb snub

Turnout among the 10% Serb minority in Kosovo was significantly lower than in the two previous elections.

Their lack of participation is a blow to UN efforts to integrate them into the political scene and overcome ethnic divisions threatening further violence.

[The Serbs] have excluded themselves from the chance which comes from this vote

Michael Steiner
UN administrator in Kosovo

The two communities remain deeply divided - the ethnic Albanian majority seeks independence for Kosovo, while the Serb minority insists it remain part of Yugoslavia.

Kosovo has been a de facto UN protectorate since Nato bombing in 1999 ended harsh Serb rule under then Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, ousted by reformers in 2000.

The province's UN administrator, Michael Steiner, had earlier indicated that local authorities could gain more powers if they received strong backing in the elections.

But it is not yet clear if the 55% overall turnout has been high enough for that to happen.

Mr Steiner blamed the results on voter fatigue after three consecutive polls, including a parliamentary election in 2001.