***** Mass abstentions nullify Serbian election result
By Paul Bond and Tony Robson
21 October 2002
Described by one observer as "an election that never was", the
failure of the Serbian presidential elections to produce a result
offers a damning commentary on the record of the Western-supported
coalition that has governed since the ousting of President Slobodan
Milosevic.
After the lack of a clear winner in the first poll, the elections
were forced into a second round run-off between the two leading
candidates. This round, held on October 13, also failed to produce a
result. A turnout of just 45.46 percent of the electorate (2,979,254
voters) means that the process will have to be repeated and increases
the likelihood of early parliamentary elections. Under Serbian law a
50 percent turnout was required for the election to be valid.
The result is embarrassing for both of the candidates. Current
Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica of the Democratic Party of
Serbia (DSS) won 66.86 percent of the vote, while the economist
Miroljub Labus, deputy prime minister in the ruling Democratic
Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition, polled just 30.92 percent.
Labus is supported by Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. Both candidates
are supporters of the privatisation and economic reform process. They
had emerged as frontrunners from the first round, when 11 candidates
stood. Kostunica polled 31.2 percent, Labus 27.7 percent, from a
turnout of 55.7 percent. Turnout was expected to be lower for the
second round even before nationalist parties started issuing threats
of boycotting the process.
What emerges most clearly from the low turnout is the growing
disillusionment with the course taken by the government in the two
years since the ousting of Milosevic. Unemployment is running at
around 50 percent, with something like one-third of all economic
transactions taking place on the black market. The average monthly
salary is in the region of 160 euros....
Ognen Pribicevic, an analyst from the Centre for South Eastern
European Studies in Belgrade, stated, "Disillusionment here is much
greater than in other central and east European countries because
voters honestly believed when Milosevic fell that living conditions
would improve overnight. They did not."...
The Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID), fearful that the
electoral debacle could hamper the government's economic reform
programme, has launched a petition to change the electoral law. The
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had
already expressed anxieties that legislative "shortcomings"-i.e., the
50 percent turnout requirement-could "lead to a series of repeat
elections without outcome." Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for the
European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana, said the EU
would ask Serbia's politicians to find "imaginative ways" of avoiding
a repeat of the election fiasco.
Both Kostunica and Labus have supported calls for a change in the
electoral law. Both are aware that this will be a requirement in
order to satisfy Western financiers. Labus said, "It will jeopardise
our image if we don't have a president of the state. That's something
no country is proud of."...
<http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/oct2002/serb-o21.shtml> *****
***** Serbian high court rejects claim of victory in presidential election
12/17/02
Aleksandar Vasovic
Associated Press
Belgrade, Yugoslavia - Serbia's highest court yesterday rejected a
complaint from Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's party that he
was the rightful winner of two invalid Serbian presidential elections.
According to official results of the Dec. 8 election, voter turnout
was 44 percent, less than the required 50 percent, making the
election invalid for the second time this year. The first vote two
months ago also failed because of insufficient turnout....
It is unclear if and when new elections will be held....
<http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1040121395283860.xml>
*****
***** 20 Dec 2002 14:54
War crimes court seeks outgoing Serb president
By Matt Daily
THE HAGUE, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The Hague war crimes tribunal called on
Yugoslavia on Friday to ensure outgoing Serbian President Milan
Milutinovic surrenders to face charges of crimes against humanity
after his term ends on January 5.
A successor for the former ally of ousted Yugoslav leader Slobodan
Milosevic has yet to be officially designated after low turnout
invalidated elections in Yugoslavia's dominant republic Serbia for
the third time this year....
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20248467> *****
--
Yoshie
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