A party led by a former Kosovo Albanian guerrilla leader won the parliamentary elections in Kosovo after gaining 35% of the votes, BBC reported Sunday, citing unofficial results.

Hashim Thaci has promised to declare formal independence from Serbia after 10 December - the UN deadline for Albanians and Serbs to reach a deal.

Serbs, who want Kosovo to remain part of Serbia, boycotted the polls, after the authorities called on them to do so in order to avoid legitimising the new government. As a result the vote saw a record low turnout set at about 45%.

Thaci's party is likely to form a coalition with bitter rivals but that is to happen after a period of negotiations and if the final results confirm the formation wins the largest number of seats in the 120-seat parliament.

Kosovo is formally part of Serbia but has been run by the United Nations since 1999 when Nato ejected Serbian forces from the province.

"With our victory today begins the new century... Today Kosovo citizens sent a message to the world, that we are a democratic society, that we are ready to take our country towards the European Union," Thaci told cheering supporters as results were coming in.

Official final results may take several days to come through.

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