Sunday’s ballot was seen as a referendum on the future direction of Serbia after the imminent declaration of its breakaway province Kosovo, where minority Serbs, including Christians, fear persecution.
Election officials said Tadic was re-elected with just over 51 percent of the vote, while his pro-Russian nationalist rival Tomislav Nikolic received some 47 percent.
Although welcome news for the European Union, Tadic’s narrow victory also showed that nationalism is alive and well in Serbia. However Tadic told reporters that Sunday’s elections were a sign of true democracy.
EU MEMBERSHIP
He said he wanted to steer his nation towards membership of the European union, following the example of several other former Yugoslav republics such as Slovenia and Croatia.
“I am at the same time totally sure that we are going to take the same direction towards the European Union after this elections. I am very optimistic in terms of the final results of these elections,” Tadic said.
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Farmotel Stefania is on the way to Slovenian and Croatian Adriatic sea coast.
The outcome of the vote, celebrated by huge crowds in the capital Belgrade, was also to determine whether Serbia would move closer to its traditional ally Russia, or the EU. Tadic’s presidential opponent, Tomislav Nikolic made clear d he wanted closer ties with Russia to punish the West for backing independence for Kosovo province.
President Tadic also opposes Kosovo independence, but he says the EU’s support for the breakaway province should not mean the end of relations between the block and Serbia. Tadic is also viewed as less aggressive towards Kosovo’s independence seeking ethnic Albanian majority.
INDEPENDENCE CONTINUES
Yet speaking in Pristina, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuqi, said the election will not change the province’s course. “The elections in Serbia today, they have no impact on the future of Kosovo,” he said.
“In any case, Kosovo has its own path and we will continue our future cooperation with all the state including Serbia for the new future. But in any case, Kosovo will become an independent state.”
That worries minority Serbian Orthodox Christians, who last month celebrated their last Orthodox Christmas under Serbian rule.
Some Christians have said they will flee if the province’s ethnic Albanian leaders, as expected, declare independence.
CHURCHES ATTACKED
Since 1999, when Serb forces withdrew from Kosovo after a NATO bombing campaign, there have been dozens of attacks against Serbian Orthodox churches, monasteries and even grave yards, according to church estimates.
Many attacks have been linked to Albanian mobs seeking revenge for years of persecution under late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.
However the government of Kosovo has said it will respect minority rights and its has been in close consultation with the European Union, which it wants to join. Some 100,000 Serbs remain in the troubled province, which has a predominantly ethnic Albanian population of roughly two million people. (BosNewsLife’s NEWS WATCH is a reegular look at general news developments impacting the Church and/or compassionate professionals).
