By ALAN PERROTT
The first democratic election in Kosovo was a bitter-sweet experience for Auckland's Albanian community.
The election in the wartorn Balkan republic was held yesterday under the supervision of United Nations observers.
A small, flag-waving contingent of refugees from Kosovo gathered in Aotea Square on Saturday to celebrate the occasion.
But they were also protesting against their exclusion from a ballot that was restricted to those who could prove they had lived in Kosovo some time after 1992.
Albanian Civic League president Mazhar Krasniqi was angry that he had been denied his chance to vote.
"This is our first real election in 600 years. First we were ruled by Rome, then the Turks and then, of course, the Serbs. But many people fled the country before 1992, and those escaping the last war had their identity papers taken from them at the border."
Mr Krasniqi said it was ironic that the thousands of Serbian police and Army personnel who infiltrated the predominantly Albanian community could vote.
But the election was all good news for Besnike Pireva.
She found several members of her family in the sprawling Kosovo refugee camps last year and the family has celebrated the birth of its first New Zealand-born child.
Mrs Pireva is happy her own children have settled into school and no longer have to hide when they see people in uniform.
"I am here to celebrate," she said. "This is the first real election we have ever had. The rest of my family in Kosovo are still living in tents, but it is much better than it was last year."
Miftar Tairi lived in Kosovo for 30 years and laughs about elections under the Communist Government.
"When we went into the polling booth you had a piece of paper with two names on it and we had to choose two of them.
"So of course afterwards the Government would say they had 100 per cent support.
"I can only speak from my heart - this is a great day for Kosovo."
About 100 Albanian families now live in Auckland.
New Zealand accepted 400 refugees from Kosovo last year, but the first wave arrived in the 1950s to escape the new Communist Government in the former Yugoslavia.
Herald Online feature: Revolution in Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Serbian Ministry of Information
Serbian Radio - Free B92
Otpor: Serbian Student Resistance Movement
Election bitter-sweet for Kosovo refugees in NZ
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