Pro-European coalition wins Serbian elections

12/05/2008

The pro-European coalition around President Boris Tadic won the majority of votes in Sunday's general election, but its ability to form a new government is uncertain.

By Igor Jovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade – 12/05/08

"The citizens of Serbia have confirmed Serbia's European path," President Boris Tadic said. "Serbia will be in the EU. We have promised that, and we will fulfill that." [Getty Images]

The coalition around Serbian President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party (DS) took the majority of votes on Sunday (May 11th), but it might be unable to form a government.

According to the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (CESID), a Belgrade-based NGO, the Democrats, who advocate the quickest possible EU integration, will win 103 of the 250 seats in parliament. The DS thus ended the long-standing domination of the far-right Serbian Radical Party, which will hold 77 seats.

The rival coalition around the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), headed by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, will have 30 seats, whereas the Socialist Party of Serbia will have 20. The Liberal Democratic Party will hold 13 seats, while parties representing ethnic minorities will have up to ten seats. According to CESID, turnout was about 61%.

If officials confirm those results, Tadic's party cannot form a government without the support of either Kostunica's DSS or the Socialists, which former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic led until his death. On the other hand, the Radicals could gain a majority by allying with the DSS and the Socialist Party.

During the campaign, Tadic and Kostunica exchanged bitter accusations, making their co-operation in another government unlikely. Kostunica berated the Democrats for signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, claiming that they effectively recognised the independence of Kosovo, which officially seceded from Belgrade on February 17th.

Tadic, on the other hand, charged Kostunica with wanting to halt European integration in his fight for Kosovo. Thus, forming a new cabinet will depend on the Socialists, who, judging by their campaign, come closer to the positions of the DSS and the Radicals. The party announced they will first talk with Kostunica about a potential coalition. Radical Party deputy leader Tomislav Nikolic also announced negotiations with Kostunica as early as Monday.

Tadic said he would begin to form a new government immediately, which would strive for EU membership and preservation of Serbian authority over Kosovo. He warned opposing parties against "toying with the will of the citizens" and against forming a government that would push Serbia back into isolation.

Nikolic, in turn, accused Tadic of violating the constitution by dismissing the possibility of a government without his party.

Kostunica and Socialist Party senior officials said nothing on Sunday night about potential coalition partners.

Belgrade analysts say that interparty negotiations will be tough and that the Socialists probably will play a crucial role. Analyst Jovo Bakic said the win by Tadic's party showed the Socialists with whom they should side. The deadline for forming a government is mid-September.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Serbs voted in Serbian local elections Sunday, some in hopes that Belgrade would regain authority over Kosovo.

"Kosovo is part of Serbia," said Dragan Milic after casting a ballot near Pristina. On the other hand, an unidentified 45-year-old man said, "I voted in Kosovo's elections [instead]. I recognised the new reality."

"Those 'local elections', their outcomes, and the Serbian municipal institutions for which they purported to elect representatives are all without legal standing or effect in Kosovo," said the chief of UNMIK, Joachim Ruecker.

Serbs are currently the second largest ethnic group in the Republic of Kosovo. There are between 120,000 and 150,000 Serbs there, or 7% to 8% of the population.

Blerta Foniqi-Kabashi contributed to this article.