SERBIA: Serbs begin voting in an election which will show whether the lure of EU membership outweighs their anger over the Western-backed secession of Kosovo

Record ID: 862623

  • Title: SERBIA: Serbs begin voting in an election which will show whether the lure of EU membership outweighs their anger over the Western-backed secession of Kosovo
  • Date: 11th May 2008
  • Summary: (BN5) BELGRADE, SERBIA (MAY 11, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF POLLING STATION WITH PEOPLE ARRIVING SERBIAN FLAG PEOPLE INSIDE POLLING STATION VOTERS REGISTERING MAN CASTING VOTE CLOSE OF VOTE BEING PLACED IN BALLOT BOX MAN CASTING VOTE CLOSE OF BALLOT PAPERS BEING PLACED IN BOX (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) VOTER MILENA (NO FAMILY NAME) SAYING: "I expect the same winner as at the last elections." (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) CEDOMIR ANTONIC SAYING: "I expect that we enter Europe and elect a European Serbia if possible." (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) JELENA BABIC SAYING: "I expect changes which means that it will be better." PEOPLE LEAVING POLLING STATION
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • City:
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAHK5EQ5TMLDTLODOKSMMXFSM2
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Serbs began voting on Sunday (May 11) in an election that will decide whether the country will move towards European Union membership or digs in its heels in national defiance over the Western-backed secession of Kosovo.
    Serbia is divided and the two front-runners, the nationalist Radical Party and the pro-Western Democratic Party, will have to woo smaller parties to form a coalition. The West has made clear it hopes the Democrats will win.
    After voting in Belgrade Milena said that she expected Serbian President Boris Tadic's Democratic party to win the most seats, "I expect the same winner as at the last elections."
    Cedomir Antonic also expected the Democrats to win, "I expect that we enter Europe and elect a European Serbia if possible."
    However Jelena Babic hoped change would bring improvements saying,
    "I expect changes which means that it will be better."
    Some 6.7 million people are registered to vote, including the defiant Serb minority in Kosovo, Serbia's former province which declared independence in February. Polls close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register