Nationalist opposition leader Tomislav Nikolic has won Sunday’s presidential election runoff in Serbia, with his opponent liberal EU-oriented ex-President Boris Tadic conceding defeat.
“I congratulate Tomislav Nikolic on an honest and deserved victory. I wish him great luck at this very difficult post,” Tadic said in an address to his election headquarters.
Early predictions showed Progressive Party leader Nikolic was gaining about 49 percent of the vote, and Tadic some 47 percent.
Democratic Party leader Tadic said he has not yet decided what he was going to do in the future.
“I will definitely not be the new prime minister,” he said, adding that Serbia’s course for EU integration should be continued.
The first round of Serbia’s presidential election was held on May 6, with Tadic gaining a slight advantage of 10,000 votes or 0.26 percent over Nikolic.
Tadic, who has already served two terms in office, stepped down in early April in order to run in the election. He said Sunday’s runoff was a referendum on whether Serbia is headed to the EU membership.
Nationalists blame the ex-president for Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence in February 2008.
