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Serbia: Presidential Poll in December, Media Say

Tomislav Nikolic

25 10 2007  Belgrade _ Serbia’s presidential election may be held a day before international mediators submit their report on Kosovo’s future to the UN Secretary-General, according to media in Serbia.

Belgrade-based radio B92 reported on Thursday that parliamentary speaker Oliver Dulic, member of President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party, might set the date for the presidential poll for December 9, citing party sources.

Other coalition members including the Democratic Party of Serbia of the Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, the New Serbia led by influential Infrastructure minister Velimir Ilic and the G17 Plus led by Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic remained cautious over the election date.

In remarks carried by Serbian media on Thursday, Ilic who is Kostunica's ally, said his party would not participate in the vote if it is scheduled for December 9.

The latest reports come amidst a dispute between President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica who insists that the election should be held after Kosovo’s status has been resolved.

A Troika of international mediators are due to present their report about the long-term status of UN-administered Kosovo to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on December 10.

In accordance with Serbia’s constitution, which the Kostunica government rushed through parliament and a referendum a year ago, the presidential contest must be held before end of this year.

Lately, Kostunica has been claiming that it “is not moral to have elections amidst the battle for Kosovo”.

Kosovo formally belongs to Serbia but its ethnic Albanian majority demand independence.

During his Serbian Democratic Party’s recent conference, Kostunica called for a change in the constitutional law on the presidential election.
 
While B92 relies for its information on its sources within parliament, an indirect confirmation about a possible election announcement came from the acting leader of Serbia’s main opposition Radical Party, Tomislav Nikolic.

He said that Dulic would be announcing the decision within days.

According to Nikolic, “Tadic made an agreement with the European Union and the United States to have the presidential elections held before Kosovo is proclaimed independent”.

Nikolic expects a crisis inside the government over this issue. “If Kostunica said that elections are immoral and Tadic demands elections, it is unavoidable to prevent the crisis between them”, Nikolic said.
 
“We will have a crisis in government, it will be open crisis”, he added.