Nationalist wins first round of voting in Serbia

A near-record turnout gave Tomislav Nikolic, deputy head of the Serbian Radical Party, about 39% of the vote, according to preliminary results with most of the votes counted. He will face incumbent President Boris Tadic in a runoff Feb. 3.

Tadic, a pro-Western reformer, came in second in a field of nine candidates with about 35%, according to the electoral commission and sample counts conducted by the Center for Free Elections and Democracy, an independent think tank in Belgrade.

The surprisingly high turnout, estimated at 60%, reflected the critical importance with which Serbs viewed the race and the impassioned attitudes that dominated it. Many Serbs feared a victory by Nikolic, whose party chairman is on trial for war crimes, would isolate the country and return it to pariah-state status.

Nikolic, however, appealed to nationalist pride among those who feel Serbia is still being punished by the West for the wars Belgrade waged in the 1990s. The most egregious example, many Serbs say, is the likelihood that Washington and much of Europe will recognize independence for Kosovo, a southern province of Serbia dominated by ethnic Albanians.

"Serbia showed today that it understands my desire for change," Nikolic told supporters at his campaign headquarters Sunday night after early returns gave him the lead.

"We have never been closer to victory," he declared. "We cannot be stopped."

Tadic also opposes independence for Kosovo but would not sever ties with Europe because of it. He told supporters Sunday night that he had expected a second-place finish and was confident that he would prevail in the second round.

"And on that day there will be an opportunity one more time to win over Europe, a better life, better salaries, pensions, security . . . to win over Europe with our talents, capabilities, national and civic potentials," he said.

Serbia's last presidential election, in 2004, shaped up in almost identical fashion. Nikolic beat Tadic in the first round but neither passed the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff. Tadic, who heads the Democratic Party, won the second round.