Fatmir Sejdiu
President of Kosovo
Incumbent
Assumed office  10 February 2006
Prime Minister	Bajram Kosumi Agim Çeku Hashim Thaçi
Preceded by	Ibrahim Rugova
Born	23 October 1951 (1951-10-23) (age 56) Pakaštica, Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia, Yugoslavia
Political party	LDK

Fatmir Sejdiu (Serbo-Croat: Fatmir Sejdiju) listen (help·info) (born October 23, 1951) is the second and current President of Kosovo. The President of the Republic of Kosovo (Kryetari i Kosovës or Serbian: sr-Cyrl председник Косова is Head of State of the Republic Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Bajram Kosumi (born March 20, 1960, in Tuxhec, Kosovska Kamenica - Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia) is an ethnic Agim Çeku ( Serbo-Croat: Agim Čeku) (born 29 October 1960 in the village of Ćuška near Pejë/Peć, in Kosovo Hashim Thaçi ( Albanian: Hashim Thaçi Serbo-Croat: Hašim Tači, Хашим Тачи born 24 April, 1968 in Drenica Prof Dr Ibrahim Rugova ( December 2, 1944 – January 21, 2006) was a politician of Albanian descent who was the first Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Pakaštica ( Serbian: Пакаштица Pakaštica; Albanian: Pakashticë, Pakashtica) is a village north of Podujevo, The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija was an autonomous province of Serbia, within the larger federation of Yugoslavia from 1946 to 1974 when it Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian The Democratic League of Kosovo ( Albanian: Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës, LDK is the 2nd largest Political party in The Serbo-Croatian language or Croato-Serbian language (cрпскохрватски језик srpskohrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic Diasystem Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January The President of the Republic of Kosovo (Kryetari i Kosovës or Serbian: sr-Cyrl председник Косова is Head of State of the Republic

He was born in the small village of Pakaštica near Podujevo, in Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia, Yugoslavia. Pakaštica ( Serbian: Пакаштица Pakaštica; Albanian: Pakashticë, Pakashtica) is a village north of Podujevo, Podujevo or Podujeva ( Albanian: Podujevë, Podujeva or Besiana; Serbian: Подујево Podujevo) is The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija was an autonomous province of Serbia, within the larger federation of Yugoslavia from 1946 to 1974 when it Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian He served as a professor at the University of Priština, teaching throughout his tenure as a Parliamentarian. The University of Prishtina as well as the University of Pristina (Universiteti i Prishtinës Serbian: Универзитет у Приштини Univerzitet

Sejdiu was an early protester against Serbian authoritarian rule and had for many years in his academic office a portrait depicting himself and fellow political party leader Veton Suroi locking arms before the riot police. He has always been widely admired for being honest and fair in all his political dealings.

Due to persisting conflicts between Kosovan separatists and the security forces of Yugoslavia under Serbian President Slobodan Milošević, the Kosovo War broke out in 1996 between the two factions. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Савезна Република Југославија / Savezna Republika Jugoslavija) or FRY was a federal state Accusations of widespread abuse by government forces towards ethnic Albanians in 1999 ignited the second part of the war in which NATO forces intervened and unleashed a bombing campaign against President Milošević. The war ended in mid-1999, and Kosovo was place under a UN Protectorate of autonomy where Ibrahim Rugova became the president of the territory. Prof Dr Ibrahim Rugova ( December 2, 1944 – January 21, 2006) was a politician of Albanian descent who was the first President Sejdiu succeeded Rugova and became the first president of the country of Kosovo when Kosovo officially declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Fatmir Sejdiu (center left) with members of the Kosovo Unity Team and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Sejdiu served in each of the Presidencies of the LDK as well as serving on the Presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo.

Sejdiu was an influential parliamentarian in the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the party of former Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova. The Democratic League of Kosovo ( Albanian: Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës, LDK is the 2nd largest Political party in Prof Dr Ibrahim Rugova ( December 2, 1944 – January 21, 2006) was a politician of Albanian descent who was the first He was elected President by the Kosovo Assembly after Rugova died from lung cancer in early 2006. The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo (Kuvendi i Kosovës Скупштина Косова Skupština Kosova) is an institution within the Provisional Institutions Sejdiu has won praise from the international community for prioritizing implementation of the UN-endorsed "standards" of good governance and multi-ethnicity.

On July 24, 2006, Sejdiu attended in Vienna the first high-level meeting between the prime ministers and presidents of Kosovo and Serbia to discuss the future status of Kosovo. During and after the breakup of Yugoslavia there were increasing ethnic and regional conflicts culminating in the Kosovo War of 1999

On January 9, 2008, Sejdiu resigned from his position as President of Kosovo to run again in the following elections held the same day. Elections for the President of Kosovo were held on January 9, 2008. This would allow him to start a completely new term with the inauguration of the new legislature, given that there are no term limits established by the Constitution Framework. See also Constitutional status of Kosovo The Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo purportedly came into effect on 15 June He received only 62 votes out of 81 needed for his election, and was expected to regain his position only after a third round of parliamentary vote, when a simple majority of 61 votes is required for the election of the president. His opponent, Naim Maloku of the AAK, running with the support of three minor parties, obtained 37 votes in the first round. Naim Maloku (born February 17, 1958 in Llabjan, Kosovo) is a Kosovar Albanian politician and former officer of the Kosovo Liberation For other meanings see AAK. Aak (pronounced A'ak is a genre of Korean court music. Sejdiu received one vote less in the second round, while 37 deputies chose Maloku.

Sejdiu was elected in the third round of voting later on the same day. ^[1]

Fatmir Sejdiu was one of the authors of the Constitutional Framework of Kosovo in 2001. See also Constitutional status of Kosovo The Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo purportedly came into effect on 15 June He speaks Albanian, English, Serbian, and French. Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

He lives in Priština, the capital of the Kosovo, with his wife Nezafete and their three sons.

References and notes

External links

• Official website of the President of Kosovo

• Fatmir Sejdiu's profile at Kosovo Assembly Website