Tadić, Nikolić to clash in round two

The Electoral Commission, RIK, has released its latest presidential election results based on 98.68 pct of all votes. RIK's deputy chairman, Dejan Djurdjevic, told reporters in Belgrade today that the Serb Radical Party (SRS) candidate Tomislav Nikolic has won 39.96 percent of votes, followed by Boris Tadic (DS) with 35.42 percent. Tadic, Nikolic to clash in round two The pair will proceed to the February 3 second round, RIK has confirmed. Other candidates with over one percent of votes ranked in the following order: Velimir Ilic (NS) 7.41 percent, Milutin Mrkonjic (SPS) 5.97 percent, Cedomir Jovanovic (LDP) 5.35 percent, Istvan Pastor (Hungarian Coalition) 2.27 percent. RIK will have complete unofficial results tonight after 8 p.m. CET, while the final official outcome of the first round of the presidential ballot in Serbia will be announced on Thursday. Earlier, CeSID Executive Director Zoran Lucic said that with 90 percent of the votes counted, it was clear that Tadic and Nikolic were headed for the second round. “Mr. Nikolic received 1,610,000 or 39.4 percent of the vote, while Mr. Tadic received 1,450,000 or 35.4 percent, Mr. Ilic received 310,000 or 7.6 percent, Mr. Mrkonjic received 245,000 or six percent and there was a little jump for Mr. Jovanovic, who received 230,000 or 5.6 percent of the vote,” Lucic said. Lucic said that Serbia could expect "another referendum" on February 3. “We expect Mrkonjiic’s votes to go, for the most part, to Nikolic. LDP (Jovanovic) supporters are expected to back Tadic. The big question is who Velimir Ilic’s votes will go to. Our research shows that Nikolic will get one for every three Tadic receives,” Lucic said. “It will be interesting to see what the voters who did not participate in the first round will do - how many will participate and who they will support. The outcome of the election will depend on them,” Lucic said. The first round winner (FoNet) Tadic confident of 2nd round victory DS presidential Boris Tadic said late on Sunday that he was certain that he would win the second round of the elections. "I expected a second round, which is why everyone needs to go to the polls again," Tadic told reporters. "Let us show once and for all that Serbia does not want to give up on its European path and a better life," said the DS candidate. “Someone says: this was just the first half, now comes the second half. I say: there’ll probably be extra-time as well, like in basketball. We start from zero and now everyone has to get involved and vote again." "There’s no magic wand, we’ve done a lot in the last few years. I know things aren’t as good as they should be, but we haven’t given up on our goals, and we will never, never give up on achieving that aim, a better life in Europe,” he stressed. Nikolic: Tadic won't catch me First round winner, SRS candidate Tomislav Nikolic says that the election result showed that the citizens had understood his desire for change. Nikolic said that the second round would bring much sought-after changes in the country. “I think the Serbian people finally believe that I will fulfil my promises. So, everything I’ve been criticized for doing in order to win, I’m going to repeat and I might even add a little something else that you haven’t dreamed of, but I’ll win, even though many in Serbia would like things to stay as they are," the SRS candidate told B92. As far as his first-round lead over Tadic was concerned, Nikolic believed that it was enough to guarantee him ultimate victory. “He’d really have to knuckle down to catch me. This time it just isn’t going to happen. Unlike all the others, I address all Serbia’s citizens,“ he stressed.

Tadić, Nikolić to clash in round two

The pair will proceed to the February 3 second round, RIK has confirmed.

Other candidates with over one percent of votes ranked in the following order: Velimir Ilić (NS) 7.41 percent, Milutin Mrkonjić (SPS) 5.97 percent, Čedomir Jovanović (LDP) 5.35 percent, Istvan Pastor (Hungarian Coalition) 2.27 percent.

RIK will have complete unofficial results tonight after 8 p.m. CET, while the final official outcome of the first round of the presidential ballot in Serbia will be announced on Thursday.

Earlier, CeSID Executive Director Zoran Lučić said that with 90 percent of the votes counted, it was clear that Tadić and Nikolić were headed for the second round.

“Mr. Nikolić received 1,610,000 or 39.4 percent of the vote, while Mr. Tadić received 1,450,000 or 35.4 percent, Mr. Ilić received 310,000 or 7.6 percent, Mr. Mrkonjić received 245,000 or six percent and there was a little jump for Mr. Jovanović, who received 230,000 or 5.6 percent of the vote,” Lučić said.

Lučić said that Serbia could expect "another referendum" on February 3.

“We expect Mrkonjiić’s votes to go, for the most part, to Nikolić. LDP (Jovanović) supporters are expected to back Tadić. The big question is who Velimir Ilić’s votes will go to. Our research shows that Nikolić will get one for every three Tadić receives,” Lučić said.

“It will be interesting to see what the voters who did not participate in the first round will do - how many will participate and who they will support. The outcome of the election will depend on them,” Lučić said.

Tadić confident of 2nd round victory

DS presidential Boris Tadić said late on Sunday that he was certain that he would win the second round of the elections.

"I expected a second round, which is why everyone needs to go to the polls again," Tadić told reporters.

"Let us show once and for all that Serbia does not want to give up on its European path and a better life," said the DS candidate.

“Someone says: this was just the first half, now comes the second half. I say: there’ll probably be extra-time as well, like in basketball. We start from zero and now everyone has to get involved and vote again."

"There’s no magic wand, we’ve done a lot in the last few years. I know things aren’t as good as they should be, but we haven’t given up on our goals, and we will never, never give up on achieving that aim, a better life in Europe,” he stressed.

Nikolić: Tadić won't catch me

First round winner, SRS candidate Tomislav Nikolić says that the election result showed that the citizens had understood his desire for change.

Nikolić said that the second round would bring much sought-after changes in the country.

“I think the Serbian people finally believe that I will fulfil my promises. So, everything I’ve been criticized for doing in order to win, I’m going to repeat and I might even add a little something else that you haven’t dreamed of, but I’ll win, even though many in Serbia would like things to stay as they are," the SRS candidate told B92.

As far as his first-round lead over Tadić was concerned, Nikolić believed that it was enough to guarantee him ultimate victory.

“He’d really have to knuckle down to catch me. This time it just isn’t going to happen. Unlike all the others, I address all Serbia’s citizens,“ he stressed.