"Past allies of Milosevic may return to power" May 06, 2012|By Dusan Stojanovic
BELGRADE, Serbia - Former ultranationalist allies of Slobodan Milosevic may return to power in Serbia, 12 years after the late Balkan leader was ousted by pro-Western forces seeking European Union membership.
The first-round vote on Sunday for president, and votes for a 250-seat national assembly and local councils, pit pro-EU democrats against nationalists who have gained in popularity with the EU’s economic troubles, which have dimmed the bloc’s allure for many Serbs.
The two leading contenders are the Democratic Party of Boris Tadic - who had been president until he resigned so the triple vote could be held together - and Milosevic’s former ally Tomislav Nikolic, whose right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party has Russia’s support, though he has lately asserted a shift toward the EU.
Are you scared, American?
The eventual outcome could determine whether Serbia abides by EU-demanded economic and social reforms after being an isolated pariah nation under Milosevic in the 1990s because of his warmongering - or turns to its traditional Slavic ally Russia instead.
And 20 years later that nation is now Israel.
It also will show whether Serbia continues to reconcile with its neighbors and wartime foes of the Balkan conflicts.
Translation: Better "elect" the "right" candidate.
Recent polls have suggested that the pro-EU camp slightly trails the nationalist bloc in the parliamentary race, but with the democrats having better chances of persuading smaller parties to form the next coalition government - just as they did after the previous elections four years ago....
Oh, so MILOSEVIC'S PARTY WILL NOT be coming back to power, 'eh?
--more--"
WTF, Globe?
"Deal reached to form Serbian government" Associated Press, May 10, 2012
BELGRADE - Pro-European Union Democrats and Socialists reached an agreement Wednesday to form a new coalition government in Serbia, after an election that indicated the bloc has kept its luster in the Balkans despite the eurozone crisis....
Hmmmmmm. A rigging?
The new Serbian government would leave populist candidate Tomislav Nikolic’s nationalist Serbian
Progressive Party, which had won the most votes in Sunday’s
parliamentary election, in the opposition.
The Socialists doubled their tally in the election compared with the previous one, achieving their best result since their founder Slobodan Milosevic was ousted from power in a prodemocracy uprising in 2000.
And they formed a coalition with.... the other guy?
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You might want to go back to the Balkans for a bit, readers.
