Kosovo MPs elect Hashim Thaci as new president

Kosovo MPs elected foreign minister and former premier Hashim Thaci as president on Friday after a tense day of voting marred by protests inside parliament and on the streets.

The election commission said 81 MPs from the 120-seat parliament took part in the third round of the election, with 71 of them voting for Thaci.

"We conclude that Mr Hashim Thaci was elected president of the Republic of Kosovo for a term of five years," the commission said.

The voting began after opposition MPs, who were determined to scupper the vote and force an early election, released tear gas in the legislature -- despite heavy security as they entered.

Some opposition members were then forcibly removed and banned from the vote and others refused to take part, while about 1,000 of their supporters rallied on the street against Thaci being elected.

Riot police fired tear gas at protesters who throw Molotov cocktails.

Thaci thanked "all those in the political sphere" after he was elected.

"I pledge to build a new Kosovo, a European Kosovo and to deepen our relationship with US," he said.

The 47-year-old failed to secure the required support of two-thirds of all MPs in the first two rounds of voting, but the third round required only a simple majority.