On this cloudless springlike Sunday, Serbs are casting their vote for President. Voting is quite heavy, as Serbs see this election's outcome as important in determining the future direction of Serbia.
Boris Tadic of the Democratic Party is seen as more Western-leaning. He sees the future of Serbia as part of the EU, supports economic reforms, and pledges cooperation with The Hague UN war crimes tribunal.
His opponent is Tomislav Nikolic, member of the Radical Party, which was an ally of Milosevic. Nikolic believes that Serbia, a country of "unfulfilled promises and great expectations," is better served by allying with Russia and China. He opposes the tribunal and has serious doubts about the country's relationship with the EU.
Both candidates oppose Kosovo's independence, but the Nikolic's party is reported to have said that it could take extreme measures against any country that recognizes Kosovo's independence. Tadic is in a tougher position, as his desire for the country's integration within the EU may be in direct conflict with this, perhaps forcing him to chose one over the other.
The Radical party has garnered more support this election, including citizens who are disenfranchised with how things are going, voting against political parties that have been in power the last seven years- and for the Radical Party which touts itself as against the status quo + standing up to the West. Others have become apathetic and will abstain from voting.
Although it is expected that the Albanian Kosovars will issue its declaration of independence in the next few weeks, how Serbia will react will likely depend on who sits alongside the current prime minister.
For a position that is largely ceremonial, it seems that Serbian citizens - and the world - are taking this election seriously.
No comments:
Post a Comment