Serbia´s President Tadic declares election victory

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-12-2008 08:36

Serbia's pro-Western president Boris Tadic has declared victory in parliamentary elections. Sunday's vote is seen as a showdown between nationalist and pro-Western forces over whether Serbia should continue to integrate with the EU or pursue closer ties with Russia.

Serbia's pro-Western president Boris Tadic has  declared victory in parliamentary elections.

Tadic calls Sunday's win "convincing" and says it shows the majority of Serbia's citizens want to join the EU.

Boris Tadic said, "This evening is main question who is going to be our coalition partner and after this I am going to find who is going to be our candidate for prime minister. Right now I am going to negotiate with the possible coalition partners. Thank you very much and this is a great victory for Serbia."

The voter turnout was about 60 percent. That's lower than January's presidential election, but strong for a parliamentary vote.

The elections were called in March after a split between Tadic and Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica. They both opposed Kosovo's independence declaration, but differ over their policies toward the EU.

The nationalists are represented by the Serbian Radical Party and the coalition of Kostunica's Serbian Democratic Party and New Serbia. They strongly oppose Serbia's further integration with the EU.

However, the Democrats say joining the EU is the only way to attract investment, create jobs and raise living standards.

It remains unclear exactly what combination of parties would form a government.

Editor:Du Xiaodan