Serbian President Boris Tadic has claimed victory in the general election with early results suggesting a big lead for his pro-Western alliance. Mr Tadic said Serbs had chosen the path of integration with Europe but he vowed his new government would not recognise Kosovo as an independent state. Despite its lead, his bloc will have to seek a coalition with other parties. Its ultra-nationalist rivals say they could still muster enough support for a nationalist coalition against him.
Mr Tadic said Serbs had chosen the path of integration with Europe but he vowed his new government would not recognise Kosovo as an independent state.
Despite its lead, his bloc will have to seek a coalition with other parties.
Its ultra-nationalist rivals say they could still muster enough support for a nationalist coalition against him.
Pro-Western forces in Serbia claimed victory on Monday after general elections gave them a mandate to strengthen ties with the European Union. Fears of a nationalist backlash over the newly independent province of Kosovo proved unfounded as Serbians went to the polls on the weekend, with tallies by the electoral commission showing the "For a European Serbia" alliance spearheaded by the Democratic Party (DS) set to secure up to 39 percent of the vote. "The citizens of Serbia have undoubtedly confirmed a clear European path," President Boris Tadic, the flag-bearer of the pro-European forces, told jubilant supporters overnight. "It is necessary to form a government as soon as possible," Tadic said in his DS campaign headquarters.
Fears of a nationalist backlash over the newly independent province of Kosovo proved unfounded as Serbians went to the polls on the weekend, with tallies by the electoral commission showing the "For a European Serbia" alliance spearheaded by the Democratic Party (DS) set to secure up to 39 percent of the vote.
"The citizens of Serbia have undoubtedly confirmed a clear European path," President Boris Tadic, the flag-bearer of the pro-European forces, told jubilant supporters overnight.
"It is necessary to form a government as soon as possible," Tadic said in his DS campaign headquarters.
The European Union is set to breathe a sign of relief as the pro-Western alliance led by President Boris Tadic won Sunday's parliamentary elections, but the country's nationalists have warned that they too can hammer out a coalition government. According to projected election results reported by an independent monitoring group, the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy, Mr Tadic's Democratic Party and its allies gained 38.7 percent of the votes and secured 103 out of 250 seats in the country's parliament - not enough to form a coalition on his own. The Serbian Radical Party of Tomislav Nikolic took 29.1 percent and 77 seats, while outgoing prime minister Vojislav Kostunica and his nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia won 11.3 percent and 30 seats. The Socialists of the late Slobodan Milosevic with 7.9 percent of the votes and 20 seats in the parliament are set to play a decisive role, as parties need to have at least 126 MPs in order to put in place a stable government. Of the some seven million Serbs eligible to vote, 60.7 percent participated in the poll.
...Mr Tadic's Democratic Party and its allies gained 38.7 percent of the votes and secured 103 out of 250 seats in the country's parliament - not enough to form a coalition on his own. The Serbian Radical Party of Tomislav Nikolic took 29.1 percent and 77 seats, while outgoing prime minister Vojislav Kostunica and his nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia won 11.3 percent and 30 seats. The Socialists of the late Slobodan Milosevic with 7.9 percent of the votes and 20 seats in the parliament...
The Serbian Radical Party of Tomislav Nikolic took 29.1 percent and 77 seats, while outgoing prime minister Vojislav Kostunica and his nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia won 11.3 percent and 30 seats.
The Socialists of the late Slobodan Milosevic with 7.9 percent of the votes and 20 seats in the parliament...
So, if one presumes that the Milosevic Socialists are somehow close to the nationalist Nikolic Radical's, they could have 77+20=97 seats compared to the Tadic Democrats 103 parliamentary seats.
That's 200 of the 250 available...what is the disposition of those 50?
And it shouldn't go unremarked, that EU-friendly Tadic has "... vowed his new government would not recognise Kosovo as an independent state."
Further into the breech... Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
