PRISTINA: Lawmakers threw tear gas cannisters in Kosovo’s parliament and protesters outside threw petrol bombs at the building to try to stop the election of a president they say has given too much power to the ethnic-Serb minority.

Opposition parties want parliament to suspend the vote, which may make Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci president, protesting that he helped broker an agreement with Serbia on more local autonomy for Kosovo’s Serbs.

Four hours into Friday’s session, led by Thaci’s Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), opposition lawmakers threw three tear gas canisters in the chamber, prompting the speaker, Kadri Veseli, to eject 11 MPs.

An hour later tear gas was being thrown again but the second of three votes went ahead despite a delay.

Veseli warned that a failure to elect the president would force a dissolution of Parliament and snap elections within 45 days, two years ahead of schedule.