Kosovo Parliament has elected former prime minister Hashim Thaci as the county's new president.
Thaci, a former guerrilla leader, was elected in the third round of voting, receiving 70 votes with 80 out of 120 lawmakers casting their votes, according to B92.
"I pledge to build a new Kosovo, a European Kosovo and to deepen our relationship with the US," the 47-year-old president-elect said, BBC News reported.
Opposition MPs boycotted the voting and attempted to disrupt the presidential election process by throwing tear gas into the Parliament house.
"I will always work in the service of the country and in the service of citizens, respecting the constitution and respecting the country's institutions," Thaci said after the vote, according to Anadolu Agency.
Hundreds of opposition supporters led by the Self-Determination Movement Party gathered outside the Parliament in the capital Pristina at the time of voting on Friday. They reportedly clashed with police and even threw Molotov cocktails at police personnel.
"Someone who has violated the constitution cannot be Kosovo's president," opposition leader Visar Ymeri said, according to the Associated Press.
Kosovo, one of the 108 U.N. member states, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia still considers the tiny Balkan nation to be part of its territory, while several countries like Russia do not recognize its sovereignty and independence.
