Monday June 14, 2004 2:46
PM
AP Photo XSI114
By JOVANA GEC
Associated Press Writer
BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - The triumph of opposition candidates in
Serbia's first-round presidential elections spells trouble for the republic's
coalition government and could lead to early parliamentary elections, officials
said Monday.
Sunday's race for Serbia's top job produced no outright winner, but left the
two top contenders - nationalist Tomislav Nikolic and reformist Boris Tadic - to
face each other in a second round of voting in two weeks.
But in a major blow to Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, whose Cabinet came
to power following December elections, the government candidate finished fourth,
behind even a political newcomer.
``We must meet immediately and see what should be done,'' Deputy Prime
Minister Miroljub Labus said. ``We either need a government reshuffle or early
elections.''
``The collapse of the government and new elections in the fall are a
realistic possibility,'' said Veselin Simonovic, an official from Kostunica's
Democratic Party of Serbia.
Nikolic, of the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party, won 30.44 percent of
Sunday's votes, ahead of Tadic, of the pro-Western Democratic Party, who won
27.60 percent, according to near-complete preliminary results released Monday by
the State Election Commission.
Because neither won an outright majority, they will compete in a runoff set
for June 27.
Dragan Marsicanin, a key Kostunica ally, finished fourth with less than 13.29
percent, behind colorful millionaire Bogoljub Karic, who won 18.18 percent.
Election turnout was estimated at just over 47 percent, the State Election
Commission said.
In a sign of a deepening rift within the ruling coalition, the three parties
allied with Kostunica said Monday they would support Tadic's bid for the
presidency in the second round - something Kostunica so far has rejected.
Kostunica's conservative, rightist government came to power following
December's parliamentary elections and replaced the previous pro-Western
government led by Tadic's Democratic Party since 2000 - the year former
President Slobodan Milosevic was toppled from power.
Kostunica had been allied with the Democrats in 2000, but later split with
the rest of the bloc, becoming a fierce critic. The rivalry between the two
groups prevented Kostunica and Tadic from forming a coalition government in
December, leaving the Democrats in opposition.
Shortly after the election results were released, Tadic urged other
pro-democracy parties to support him in the runoff so that Nikolic, a Milosevic
supporter, would stand no chance of winning.
``Undoubtedly, the great majority of people voted for a democratic and
European way for Serbia,'' Tadic said.
Tadic said he would not call for the government' resignation despite
Marsicanin's defeat, citing the need for stability. However, Nikolic urged
Kostunica and his Cabinet to resign immediately in light of election results.
