Serb Reformers Claim Victory

B E L G R A D E, Yugoslavia, Dec 24, 2000 -- Claiming a landslide victory in Yugoslavia’s main republic, President Vojislav Kostunica’s followers today promised sweeping reforms and a showdown with leaders of Slobodan Milosevic’s discredited government.

Official results were expected to be announced later today local time, butMilosevic’s Socialist Party conceded defeat.

Kostunica’s Democratic Opposition of Serbia said it had wonabout 64 percent of the vote in Saturday’s elections for theSerbian parliament, enough to form the first non-communistgovernment here since World War II. Serbia is the larger of the tworepublics that make up Yugoslavia.

Milosevic’s Allies Voted Out

Milosevic’s once-dominant Socialists won about 13 percent andthe ultranationalist Radical Party trailed in third with about 8percent, according to unofficial results and exit polls.

“The democratic reconstruction of Serbia and Yugoslavia will becompleted after these elections,” Kostunica said on Serbian statetelevision. “In a few days, we’ll have new parliament andgovernment which will be able to tackle the problems ahead.”

Saturday’s results in Serbia’s elections will enable thedemocratic movement to complete the revolution set in motion whenKostunica defeated Milosevic for the Yugoslav presidency Sept. 24.Milosevic refused to accept the result and called for a runoff,triggering riots Oct. 5 that forced him to concede defeat.

Despite the change in Yugoslav leadership, Milosevic’s alliesstill have controlled the government of Serbia, which accounts formore than 90 percent of Yugoslavia’s population of 10 million. TheSerbian government controls the key levers of power such as thejudiciary and the 60,000-strong Serbian police.

“It’s pretty clear we have won,” said Zoran Djindjic, expected to become Serbia’s prime minister. “We won the elections, but a huge job comes afterward.”

Possible Arrests

Without a strong party to back him, Milosevic is now vulnerableto prosecution for running the country during his 13 years inpower. Kostunica has refused to extradite Milosevic to the U.N. warcrimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, but wants to try him andothers in Yugoslavia.

“The elections show that people want a decisive showdown withthe former regime,” said pro-democracy leader Zarko Korac. “TheDemocratic Opposition of Serbia needs courage to do it.”

Gradimir Nalic, expected to become Serbia’s new police minister,said “There will be arrests, but only according to the law.”

Strong Socialist Opposition Remains

The Socialists took some comfort in the fact that they will bethe largest single party in the new parliament, since the Kostunicacoalition includes 18 parties and is expected to breakup next year.

“Those who did everything to make the Socialists disappear fromthe political scene were not right,” said Socialist PartyGeneral-Secretary Zoran Andjelkovic. “I’m sure we’ll have 20 percent of the votes in the end and we’ll be the strongestopposition party in the parliament.”

The biggest loser was the neo-communist Yugoslav Left Party ofMilosevic’s wife, Mirjana Markovic, which won less than 1 percentof the vote, the initial, unofficial results showed.

Another loser was the Serbian Renewal Movement led by VukDraskovic, for years the undisputed leader of the anti-Milosevicmovement. Exit polls and unofficial returns showed Draskovic’sparty, which refused to join the Kostunica coalition, won only 4percent—too few votes to make it into parliament.

The Center for Free Elections and Democracy, a leadingnon-governmental monitoring group that conducted exit polls,predicted that Kostunica’s coalition would claim 177 of the 250parliamentary seats. Milosevic’s Socialists were expected to take35 seats, the Radicals 23, the center said.

Surprise Winner

In the biggest election surprise, the center predicted that 15seats would go to the Serbian Unity Party of indicted war crimessuspect Zeljko Raznatovic, or Arkan, who was assassinated inBelgrade in January.

The party appears to have profitted from Serbia’s protractedstruggle against ethnic Albanian militants over a piece ofterritory in southern Serbia that borders Kosovo. The Serbs lostcontrol of Kosovo last year after NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign tostop Milosevic’s crackdown against ethnic Albanians.

“We will do everything to protect Serbia, to free Serbia, toprotect our country from further disintegration,” the party’sleader, Borislav Pelevic, said.

Initial reports indicated turnout was about 60 percent, some 10percent less than in September’s Yugoslav federal elections,according to poll watchers.

Ethnic Albanians Boycott Vote

Ethnic Albanians in both Kosovo and in areas of southern Serbiabordering the province boycotted the vote. A great majority of themwant independence. They consider the elections invalid.

In Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, hundreds of ethnic Albaniansdemonstrated Saturday in front of U.N. headquarters to protest adecision by international officials to allow Kosovo Serbs to vote.

Kosovo was the only region in Serbia where the Socialist Partydefeated pro-democrats. According to initial results in KosovskaMitrovica, where the vast majority of Serbs remaining in Kosovolive, the Socialists won 52 percent of the vote. Kostunica’scoalition won 29 percent.

Kosovo Serbs traditionally have been supporters of Milosevic.