Serbia to hold second round of presidential election

PanARMENIAN.Net - Serbia is heading for a showdown next month between a nationalist who leans towards Russia and a liberal favoring the West following the first round of a presidential election.



Nationalist Tomislav Nikolic took 39.6 percent of the vote on Sunday in a field of nine candidates, ahead of 35.5 percent for pro-Western President Boris Tadic.



Analysts said the 61 percent turnout - the highest since the fall of strongman Slobodan Milosevic in 2000 - showed how seriously people took the vote on Serbia's place in the world, and turnout could be even higher in the February 3 run-off.



Both candidates oppose independence for the breakaway province of Kosovo. But Nikolic is lukewarm towards EU membership and argues that Serbia can steer a middle course between the 27-member bloc and Russia, Reuters reports.