Post by c0gnate on Feb 4, 2008 7:26:41 GMT -5
Feb 4th 2008 | BELGRADE
From Economist.com
A victory for Boris Tadic, the pro-Western incumbent, in Serbia’s presidential election
A LONG night had been expected. Opinion polls had shown that the gap between Boris Tadic, the pro-Western incumbent, and his challenger for the presidency, Tomislav Nikolic, was slender. So in that sense the result of Serbia’s presidential election on Sunday February 3rd was a surprise. Mr Tadic won a clear 50.5% of the vote and Mr Nikolic of the Serbian Radical Party 47.9%. Pollsters were astonished by a turnout of 67.7%. “An incredible response”, gushed Zoran Lucic, who heads Serbia’s main election-monitoring group. Many Serbs are abroad but remain on the electoral registers, so it would be hard to have a higher turnout. The result gives a clear indication of the political challenges that Serbia now faces.
Especially abroad Serbia’s poll had been painted as one between the forces of light—the European-leaning Mr Tadic—and of darkness: Mr Nikolic. His party was an important force in the wars of the 1990s, fielding murderous militias. But Sunday’s election proved that this stereotype is redundant. A recent poll showed that almost three-quarters of the electorate want to join the European Union. But that did not stop a good number of them voting for Mr Nikolic.
More than seven years after the fall of Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia’s wartime leader, many of Mr Nikolic's voters, far from wanting to turn the clock back, simply want change. They reckon that far too many people around Mr Tadic have become too rich mainly thanks to being in or close to government. Mr Tadic needs to alter this perception if his party is to win next time around.
That examination of his popularity could come sooner rather than later. In the next days and weeks several events will test Mr Tadic’s political skills. Kosovo, Serbia's southern province with an overwhelmingly ethnic-Albanian population, will shortly declare independence. There is not much Serbia can do about this now, so any struggle will be in Belgrade. Mr Tadic had argued that, whatever happens over Kosovo, Serbia has no choice but to keep on the track of European integration. But, in government, his Democratic Party has given the impression that it is bossed around by a coalition partner, Vojislav Kostunica, who is also the prime minister. He says that if the EU sends a mission to oversee police and justice in Kosovo, which is exactly what it intends to do, Serbia could no longer work towards joining the EU.
Despite this quarrel, Mr Tadic had been expecting Mr Kostunica, whose party is much smaller than his own, to announce his support for him. He did not. Now people close to the president are demanding that Mr Tadic finally flex some political muscle and show Mr Kostunica who is boss. In the next few days Serbia should sign a political agreement with the EU. "Sign or resign," demands Goran Svilanovic, a former foreign minister and supporter of Mr Tadic. If Mr Kostunica refuses to endorse the agreement then a general election could be in the offing.
Celebrations after the poll were muted. Supporters of Mr Tadic appeared shaken. Not only can they look forward to a bruising few months thanks to Kosovo and battles between the government's coalition partners. Mr Tadic also needs to take account of why so many people voted for Mr Nikolic and for that he does not need a paid-up analyst, any taxi driver will do. "It's fine them talking about getting rid of visas for Europe," said one who had just voted for Mr Nikolic, "but I can't afford to go to Europe and those who can, can afford a visa.”
Many of those who voted for Mr Nikolic are the "have nots" of Serbian society, rather than foaming-at-the-mouth pro-Russian, Greater Serbian nationalists. Mr Tadic won the poll but Mr Nikolic is making his party respectable, which for him, is a victory of sorts too.
www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10635380&top_story=1
From Economist.com
A victory for Boris Tadic, the pro-Western incumbent, in Serbia’s presidential election
A LONG night had been expected. Opinion polls had shown that the gap between Boris Tadic, the pro-Western incumbent, and his challenger for the presidency, Tomislav Nikolic, was slender. So in that sense the result of Serbia’s presidential election on Sunday February 3rd was a surprise. Mr Tadic won a clear 50.5% of the vote and Mr Nikolic of the Serbian Radical Party 47.9%. Pollsters were astonished by a turnout of 67.7%. “An incredible response”, gushed Zoran Lucic, who heads Serbia’s main election-monitoring group. Many Serbs are abroad but remain on the electoral registers, so it would be hard to have a higher turnout. The result gives a clear indication of the political challenges that Serbia now faces.
Especially abroad Serbia’s poll had been painted as one between the forces of light—the European-leaning Mr Tadic—and of darkness: Mr Nikolic. His party was an important force in the wars of the 1990s, fielding murderous militias. But Sunday’s election proved that this stereotype is redundant. A recent poll showed that almost three-quarters of the electorate want to join the European Union. But that did not stop a good number of them voting for Mr Nikolic.
More than seven years after the fall of Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia’s wartime leader, many of Mr Nikolic's voters, far from wanting to turn the clock back, simply want change. They reckon that far too many people around Mr Tadic have become too rich mainly thanks to being in or close to government. Mr Tadic needs to alter this perception if his party is to win next time around.
That examination of his popularity could come sooner rather than later. In the next days and weeks several events will test Mr Tadic’s political skills. Kosovo, Serbia's southern province with an overwhelmingly ethnic-Albanian population, will shortly declare independence. There is not much Serbia can do about this now, so any struggle will be in Belgrade. Mr Tadic had argued that, whatever happens over Kosovo, Serbia has no choice but to keep on the track of European integration. But, in government, his Democratic Party has given the impression that it is bossed around by a coalition partner, Vojislav Kostunica, who is also the prime minister. He says that if the EU sends a mission to oversee police and justice in Kosovo, which is exactly what it intends to do, Serbia could no longer work towards joining the EU.
Despite this quarrel, Mr Tadic had been expecting Mr Kostunica, whose party is much smaller than his own, to announce his support for him. He did not. Now people close to the president are demanding that Mr Tadic finally flex some political muscle and show Mr Kostunica who is boss. In the next few days Serbia should sign a political agreement with the EU. "Sign or resign," demands Goran Svilanovic, a former foreign minister and supporter of Mr Tadic. If Mr Kostunica refuses to endorse the agreement then a general election could be in the offing.
Celebrations after the poll were muted. Supporters of Mr Tadic appeared shaken. Not only can they look forward to a bruising few months thanks to Kosovo and battles between the government's coalition partners. Mr Tadic also needs to take account of why so many people voted for Mr Nikolic and for that he does not need a paid-up analyst, any taxi driver will do. "It's fine them talking about getting rid of visas for Europe," said one who had just voted for Mr Nikolic, "but I can't afford to go to Europe and those who can, can afford a visa.”
Many of those who voted for Mr Nikolic are the "have nots" of Serbian society, rather than foaming-at-the-mouth pro-Russian, Greater Serbian nationalists. Mr Tadic won the poll but Mr Nikolic is making his party respectable, which for him, is a victory of sorts too.
www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10635380&top_story=1