Q&A: Serbian Elections

What happens on Sunday?

Serbians will vote in the first parliamentary and local elections since Kosovo seceded and declared independence in February.

At the crux of the election is the issue of Kosovo and relations with the west, including whether Serbia pursues a place in the EU. Many see it as a symbolic competition between the west and Russia, and the outcome is critical for Serbia's future place in the world.

Who are the main players?

Tomislav Nikolic, the deputy leader of the extremist nationalist Serbian Radical party (and its temporary leader while Vojislav Seselj, the current leader, stands trial for war crimes) is currently leading the polls.

Nikolic served under Slobodan Milosevic, the first European head of state to be tried for war crimes. If he wins on Sunday, the prospect is Serbian isolation in Europe and a return to the policies of the Milosevic era.

Boris Tadic defeated Nikolic in February's presidential election by around 100,000 votes.

Tadic, the staunchly pro-European president who leads the center-left Democrats, pledged in his election campaign to fight for European integration.

He wants Serbia to pursue EU membership and find a solution on Kosovo but, if he loses, the EU bid could be halted.

Vojislav Kostunica, the nationalist prime minister, is a defender of Serb sovereignty over Kosovo, refuses to compromise with the EU and has the support of the Kremlin.

What have become the main issues?

Serbia's relationship with the EU is seen by many to be the critical issue in this election.

Opinion polls taken following the election in February showed that the majority of Serbs were still in favor of joining the EU, but many were against Serbia recognizing Kosovo's independence.

Who has ultimate control between the parliament and the presidency?

Day-to-day running of the country is taken care of by the prime minister. While the president has final approval of law and is the supreme commander of the armed forces, his role is effectively symbolic.

What happened in the lead-up to the election?

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17 after months of negotiations mediated by the UN and further talks involving the US, EU and Russia - both of which proved futile.

Serbia, with Russia's support, refuses to recognize Kosovan independence. Russia is blocking any movement in the UN security council. A new Serbian constitution had been approved in October 2006.

In March this year, Kostunica admitted his government was no longer functioning. He handed in his resignation, announcing that his party would withdraw from government after EU member states recognized Kosovan independence.

What do the polls say?

For the past month, opinion polls in Serbia have remained steady, showing the Radicals marginally ahead of the Democrats.

This week, a British government survey put the Radicals on 32%, with the Democrats on 31% and the Democratic Party of Serbia on 10%.

What is the likely outcome?

Kostunica is predicted to be the king maker of the future government, but it is unlikely that any one party will win overwhelmingly. As such, a coalition government will probably be formed.

What about Kosovo?

Almost 6.7 million voters are registered in Serbia, along with 107,000 Serbs living in Kosovo.

Kosovan authorities have indicated that the vote could be extended to Kosovo on the grounds of dual citizenship,p but Joachim Ruecker, the head of the UN mission in Kosovo, has said his administration feels the elections are illegitimate and should be ignored in Kosovo.

Hashim Thaci, the Kosovan prime minister, said Serbian local elections in Kosovo were a violation of a UN security council resolution.