A period of fighting ensued between Kosovan Albanians and Yugoslav security forces resulting in a humanitarian crisis.

UNSCR 1244 called for a political process to determine the future status of Kosovo; UN-sponsored negotiations began in 2006.

After 2001, UNMIK gradually transferred increased governing competencies to the PISG, while reserving some powers such as foreign affairs.

After Kosovo-wide elections in October 2004, the LDK and AAK formed a new governing coalition that did not include PDK and Ora.

This coalition agreement resulted in Ramush Haradinaj (AAK) becoming Prime Minister, while Ibrahim Rugova retained the position of President.

PDK and Ora were critical of the coalition agreement and have since frequently accused the current government of corruption.

Ramush Haradinaj resigned the post of Prime Minister after he was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in March 2005.

But in a political shake-up after the death of President Rugova in January 2006, Kosumi himself was replaced by former Kosovo Protection Corps commander Agim Çeku.

Çeku won recognition for his outreach to minorities, but Serbia was critical of his wartime past as military leader of the KLA and claimed he was not doing enough for Kosovo Serbs.

Slaviša Petković, Minister for Communities and Returns, was previously the only ethnic Serb in the government, but resigned in November 2006 amid allegations of corruption at his ministry.

[1][2] On 10 February 2007, nearly 3,000 people protested against the plan by United Nations chief negotiator Martti Ahtisaari which would in effect grant independence to the Kosovo province.

On Tuesday 13 February 2007, Kosovo interior minister Fatmir Rexhepi resigned on moral grounds after two people died of injuries suffered in clashes with police during the protest.

After early results on the morning of the 18th indicating opposition leader Hashim Thaçi was on course to gain 35 per cent of the vote, he claimed victory for PDK, the Albanian Democratic Party, and stated his intention to declare independence.