Word: serbia
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...much of its pride can a country allow to be punctured? Already punished by the effects of the 1999 Balkan war and international opprobrium, Serbia is in the middle of an election process that will reveal how much more national identity its citizens are willing to shed as they head into the future. Will they opt for an ultra-nationalist President willing to put up a struggle over Kosovo, the so-called historic heartland of the Serb nation that is now dominated by ethnic Albanians about to declare the province's independence? Or will they opt for a President...
While the presidency of Serbia is a largely ceremonial role, electing the President has become a barometer of popular - and thus political - sentiment. In the first round of voting on Jan. 20, ultra-nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic won the most votes, 1.6 million or 39.4% of the ballots cast. The incumbent President, pro-Western Boris Tadic, came in second with 35.4% or 1.4 million votes. The contest is now headed for a Feb. 3 runoff...
Although both Nikolic and Tadic strongly oppose Kosovo's independence, Tadic believes that Serbia should nevertheless strive toward EU membership. Nikolic, on the other hand, wants to freeze diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes Kosovo; he seeks to establish close ties with Russia as an alternative to Europe. During the campaign, he said that if he became President, he would invite Russia to build military bases along Serbia's border with Kosovo...
...long as I am President of Serbia, I will never accept the independence of Kosovo...
...long as I am President of Serbia, I will never accept the independence of Kosovo. BORIS TADIC, Serbian President, on the autonomous province of Kosovo, which is expected to unilaterally declare independence in the coming weeks...