ELECTORAL TURNOUT IN KOSOVO EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS

( Editorial: --> 1553 ) PRISTINA, Mar 22 (Hina) - Polling stations for the presidential and parliamentary elections organised in the south Yugoslav province of Kosovo by Kosovo Albanians closed at 7pm Sunday. According to the main election commission, 85.4 per cent of over a million registered voters cast their ballots. Ten political parties proposed candidates for representatives at the Kosovo parliament, while the only presidential candidate was Ibrahim Rugova, the leader of the strongest Kosovo Albanian party. According to election commission president Tadija Rodiqi, the elections have been successful despite Serbian police interventions in three villages, and the electoral turnout has exceeded all expectations. Serbian authorities stated the elections were illegal. (hina) ha 222116 MET mar 98