YUGOSLAVIA: SERBIA GETS A THIRD CHANCE THIS YEAR TO ELECT A PRESIDENT BUT POLLSTERS BELIEVE THE VOTE WILL FAIL

Record ID: 648029

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: SERBIA GETS A THIRD CHANCE THIS YEAR TO ELECT A PRESIDENT BUT POLLSTERS BELIEVE THE VOTE WILL FAIL
  • Date: 8th December 2002
  • Summary: (W1) BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (DECEMBER 5, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. LV BELGRADE CITY SCENES (4 SHOTS) 0.21 2. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) ZORAN LUTOVAC, INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ANALYST SPEAKING SAYING "As experience shows, it is not necessary for us to have a president who will have vast support of the plebiscite, who will be the new father of the nation, new leader. What we need is normal parliamentary political system. The question is if that needs to be done before or after we elect the new (Serbian) president. The way things are, it seems to me that it is going to be very difficult to elect the president first and change that fact later. I expect the, after the possible failure of these elections, the two strongest men in the country (Vojislav Kostunica and Zoran Djindjic) to reach an agreement in order to finally organize another presidential elections which will be successful or right away talk about holding next elections in the parliament." 1.22 (W1) BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (DECEMBER 4, 2002) (REUTERS) 3. MV VOJISLAV SESELJ, LEADER OF THE RADICAL PARTY OF SERBIAN (SRS) AND ITS CANDIDATE GETTING ON TO THE STAGE ON THE FINAL RALLY OF HIS PARTY; SLV RADICAL'S RALLY; SLV SESELJ AND ALEKSANDAR VUCICE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE RADICAL PARTY OF SERBIA (SRS) SINGING THE OLD CHETNICH SONG AT THE RALLY (3 SHOTS) 2.00 4. SCU MAN HOLDING PHOTOGRAPHS OF RADOVAN KARADZIC AND RATKO MLADIC 2.06 5. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) VOJISLAV SESELJ, LEADER OF THE RADICAL PARTY OF SERBIA (DSS) AND ITS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SPEAKING SAYING "Those who are against (Serbian prime minister) Zoran Djindjic will vote for me since I am the only one who can guarantee to topple down the government of Zoran Djindjic." 2.20 6. SCU PEOPLE CHEERING; MV FLAGS OF THE RADICAL PARTY OF SERBIA 2.27 (W1) BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (DECEMBER 5, 2002) (REUTERS) 7. MV MEN PUTTING UP ELECTION POSTERS; SCU OSCE'S ELECTION POSTER READING IN SERBIAN "IT'S ABOUT YOU -VOTE"; SLV ELECTION POSTER OF VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA, YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF SERBIA (DSS) (3 SHOTS) 2.42 8. MV KOSTUNICA ENTERING CENTRE SAVA, THE PLACE WHERE HIS LAST PRE-ELECTION RALLY TOOK PLACE; SLV PEOPLE APPLAUDING; SLV KOSTUNICA GETTING ON TO THE STAGE, WAVING; SLV KOSTUNICA STANDING ON THE STAGE (4 SHOTS) 3.11 9. SOUNDBITE (English) VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA, YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT AND THE CANDIDATE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF SERBIA (DSS) FOR THE SERBIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKING SAYING "I think that with the experience with this previous round of elections the fact (is) that citizens realised that it is possible to have elections that are not successful. Usually the candidates are successful or unsuccessful in the elections. Here we have elections that can be unsuccessful... I think it's serious experience for electorate for citizens, that they are aware of that and that they regardless of all efforts actually to boycott, to obstruct this election on the part of the government, not the whole Serbian government, I think that these elections are going to succeed." 3.49 10. MV SCENE 3.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 23rd December 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVAEG69CMO8SNJUIMNAKNAH440CC
  • Story Text: Serbia gets its third chance this year to elect a
    president on Sunday but pollsters believe the vote will fail
    due to low turnout as the last ballot did, prolonging a period
    of political uncertainty.

    Front-runner Vojislav Kostunica, the moderate
    nationalist Yugoslav president, is up against two hard-line
    nationalists. But opinion surveys predict less than the legal
    minimum of 50 percent of registered voters will take part in
    the election.

    The apathy of Serbian voters contrasts with concern in the
    West, which wants politicians to end wrangling over the
    presidency and focus on economic and institutional reforms
    badly needed after a decade of turmoil under Slobodan
    Milosevic.

    "With instability and internal division, the necessary
    changes will not happen," European Union foreign policy chief
    Javier Solana wrote in Serbian newspapers on Thursday.

    "Serbian voters on Thursday should therefore seize the
    opportunity to ensure political stability for the coming
    years, and give Serbia a legitimate, democratically elected
    president to steer it through this period of change."
    The election's likely failure is the result of a long-running feud
    between Kostunica and Serbian Prime Minister
    Zoran Djindjic, who united to oust Milosevic in October 2000
    but have rarely seen eye-to-eye on anything since.

    Kostunica is fiercely critical of Djindjic's government,
    accusing it of corruption and links to organised crime. He has
    also tapped into discontent over job losses and rising prices
    as Serbia moves from state control to a modern market economy.

    Djindjic, who has won praise in the West for his swift
    pro-market economic reforms, has denied the accusations and
    decided his camp will not field a candidate in this election.

    Many of his supporters will stay at home, lowering the
    turnout.

    Some Serbs had hoped Djindjic would agree to back
    Kostunica. But there is no sign of compromise.

    "The time for a deal has expired. Djindjic can now make
    deals with himself," Kostunica told local television this
    week. Kostunica is looking for a new job as his present post
    will change under an imminent revamp of the Yugoslav
    federation.

    Current Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, whose term
    expires in January, is likely to join his ex-boss Milosevic in
    The Hague. The U.N. war crimes tribunal indicted them both for
    atrocities against majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

    Serbia's parliament speaker will take over as caretaker
    president if a successor to Milutinovic has not been elected.

    Kostunica came out ahead in this year's first attempt to
    elect a president on September 29 but did not secure the
    absolute majority needed to claim the post in the first round.

    He then soundly defeated a Djindjic-backed candidate in a
    run-off two weeks later but that vote was declared invalid as
    turnout was only around 45 percent.

    Now Kostunica's main opponent is ultra-nationalist
    Vojislav Seselj, under investigation by the war crimes
    tribunal over killings by Serb paramilitaries in Croatia. As
    in September, from behind bars in The Hague, Milosevic is
    supporting Seselj.

    Seselj and the third candidate, kick-boxing expert and
    former paramilitary commander Borislav Pelevic, are also
    playing on dissatisfaction with Djindjic's government. Seselj
    argues Kostunica as president would co-operate with the premier.

    "Our victory will mean Djindjic's rule will end soon. If
    you want Djindjic to rule for another two years, vote for
    Kostunica," he told a rally in Belgrade on Wednesday.


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