Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu called Tuesday local elections for Nov. 15, setting up the first polls in the disputed territory since it broke away from Serbia last year.

"Based on the constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and consultations with representatives of all political parties, I have decided that the next local elections be held on November 15, 2009," Sejdiu told reporters.

He appealed to Kosovo's minority Serbs to participate in the polls, unlike in November 2007 when they boycotted multi-level elections en masse at the behest of the Serbian government.