Serbian Reformers Toast Victory

A reformist keen on improving relations with the EU and the US was poised last night to become president of Serbia after defeating an ultra-nationalist supporter of Slobodan Milosevic.

Boris Tadic, the former defence minister, took 53.5% of the vote, to 45% for Tomislav Nikolic of the extremist Radical party, election officials said. The turnout was about 48%.

Mr Nikolic was quick to concede defeat last night congratulating his rival but blaming western scaremongering for his defeat.

Mr Tadic's victory arrests a trend over the past year during which Serbia slipped into hostile and bad-tempered isolation, refusing to cooperate on war crimes and voting for nationalists.

Celebrating his victory, Mr Tadic said the election showed there was "no turning back from October 2000", when Mr Milosevic was driven from office.

Following three failed attempts to elect a head of state over the past 18 months because of voter apathy, yesterday's election was seen as the most critical since Mr Milosevic was ousted because of the contrast between the contenders.

"My hope is that Serbia will never again be led by a man who will spearhead the killing of our countrymen," said Mr Tadic as the result became clear. He has pledged to see a rapprochement with mainstream Europe and to cooperate with the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

He is the leader of the opposition Democratic party, succeeding Zoran Djindjic, who was shot outside his office in Belgrade last year.

Mr Nikolic, who has come first in the last two attempts to elect a president, has vowed not to transfer war crimes suspects to The Hague, where his party leader, Vojislav Seselj, is in custody charged with taking part in killings in the 1990s.

Mr Nikolic beat Mr Tadic by three points in the first round a fortnight ago.