Tadic Declares Victory in Serbia
By VOA News
11 May 2008
Serbia's pro-European President Boris Tadic is declaring victory in the nation's crucial parliamentary election.
His declaration Sunday came shortly after independent election monitors said his Democratic Party and its allies were winning what they called a "very convincing victory."
The Center for Free Elections and Democracy said the reformists had 39 percent of the vote while the nationalist Radicals had 28 percent.
Voters cast ballots Sunday to determine whether Serbia moves towards or away from European integration.
Mr. Tadic wants to move Serbia towards European Union membership while the nationalists - angered by Western support for Kosovo's declaration of independence - want closer ties with Russia.
Serbs inside ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo also voted Sunday to demonstrate their opposition to Kosovo's independence.
The United Nations mission that administers the former Serbian province said the Serb vote inside Kosovo violates a U.N. Security Council resolution, and that its results will be annulled.
Neither the pro-Western coalition nor the nationalists are expected to win a clear majority in the Serbian parliament. This would leave a populist bloc led by outgoing Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica with a key role in forming a new government.
Mr. Kostunica wants to scrap plans to join the EU in favor of stronger ties with Russia.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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