Described by one observer as "an election that never was", the failure of the Serbian presidential elections to produce a result offers a damning commentary on the record of the Western-supported coalition that has governed since the ousting of President Slobodan Milosevic.
After the lack of a clear winner in the first poll, the elections were forced into a second round run-off between the two leading candidates. This round, held on October 13, also failed to produce a result. A turnout of just 45.46 percent of the electorate (2,979,254 voters) means that the process will have to be repeated and increases the likelihood of early parliamentary elections. Under Serbian law a 50 percent turnout was required for the election to be valid.
The result is embarrassing for both of the candidates. Current Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) won 66.86 percent of the vote, while the economist Miroljub Labus, deputy prime minister in the ruling Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition, polled just 30.92 percent. Labus is supported by Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. Both candidates are supporters of the privatisation and economic reform process. They had emerged as frontrunners from the first round, when 11 candidates stood. Kostunica polled 31.2 percent, Labus 27.7 percent, from a turnout of 55.7 percent. Turnout was expected to be lower for the second round even before nationalist parties started issuing threats of boycotting the process.
What emerges most clearly from the low turnout is the growing disillusionment with the course taken by the government in the two years since the ousting of Milosevic. Unemployment is running at around 50 percent, with something like one-third of all economic transactions taking place on the black market. The average monthly salary is in the region of 160 euros....
Ognen Pribicevic, an analyst from the Centre for South Eastern European Studies in Belgrade, stated, "Disillusionment here is much greater than in other central and east European countries because voters honestly believed when Milosevic fell that living conditions would improve overnight. They did not."...
The Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID), fearful that the electoral debacle could hamper the government's economic reform programme, has launched a petition to change the electoral law. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had already expressed anxieties that legislative "shortcomings"-i.e., the 50 percent turnout requirement-could "lead to a series of repeat elections without outcome." Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana, said the EU would ask Serbia's politicians to find "imaginative ways" of avoiding a repeat of the election fiasco.
Both Kostunica and Labus have supported calls for a change in the electoral law. Both are aware that this will be a requirement in order to satisfy Western financiers. Labus said, "It will jeopardise our image if we don't have a president of the state. That's something no country is proud of."...
<http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/oct2002/serb-o21.shtml> *****
***** Serbian high court rejects claim of victory in presidential election 12/17/02
Aleksandar Vasovic Associated Press
Belgrade, Yugoslavia - Serbia's highest court yesterday rejected a complaint from Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's party that he was the rightful winner of two invalid Serbian presidential elections.
According to official results of the Dec. 8 election, voter turnout was 44 percent, less than the required 50 percent, making the election invalid for the second time this year. The first vote two months ago also failed because of insufficient turnout....
It is unclear if and when new elections will be held....
<http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1040121395283860.xml> *****
***** 20 Dec 2002 14:54 War crimes court seeks outgoing Serb president
By Matt Daily
THE HAGUE, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The Hague war crimes tribunal called on Yugoslavia on Friday to ensure outgoing Serbian President Milan Milutinovic surrenders to face charges of crimes against humanity after his term ends on January 5.
A successor for the former ally of ousted Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic has yet to be officially designated after low turnout invalidated elections in Yugoslavia's dominant republic Serbia for the third time this year....
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20248467> ***** -- Yoshie
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