Preliminary results: Tadić claims victory

Democrat Boris Tadic has won another five-year term as Serbia's president, first results show; Radicals concede defeat. CeSID's team held a news conference in Belgrade to present its complete preliminary results that show that Boris Tadic has won 50.5 percent, or some 2,280,000 million votes, while Tomislav Nikolic gained 47.9 percent, or approximately 2,180,000. Preliminary results: Tadic claims victory The organization, with a strong track record in over 20 previous polls in Serbia and in the region, says that the margin of error of the final results is now below the level of statistical error, which means that Tadic's victory is secured. At the same time, reports from the polling stations abroad show that expats voted overwhelmingly for Tadic, in Europe, North America, and Russia. Kosovo Serbs on the other hand showed support for Nikolic. The Democrats and their supporters are celebrating in Belgrade's Terazije Square. Read about it in a separate article. Meanwhile, the deputy presidnet of the SRS, Tomislav Nikolic, conceded deafeat and called for calm, after some lower-ranking officials sent ambiguous statements suggesting the party may contest the result. The turnout in this election, according to the Electoral Commission (RIK) preliminary results, was at 67.2 percent. Nikolic, the deputy leader of the opposition Serb Radical Party (SRS), and Tadic, the ruling Democratic Party (DS) president, were the two most successful candidates in the first round of the presidential ballot, held on Jan. 20. Nikolic came on top two weeks ago with a margin of just over four percent, from a record turnout of 61 percent. The historic vote today produced the first president in Serbia's history as an independent country. Polling stations opened countrywide at 07:00 CET this morning, and closed at 20:00. RIK earlier in the week announced that that there is a total of 6,723,762 eligible and registered voters in Serbia, Tanjug news agency reported. They have been casting their ballots at 8,481 polling stations. The election was monitored by over 3,000 observers from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IACIS). RIK granted CeSID 3,087 observer accreditations, while OSCE was allocated 23, IACIS three, Russian Duma eight and UK and U.S. embassies one each. PACE has four observers – they were unable to monitor the first round due to preparations for its first 2008 session, which started on January 21, Tanjug said. CeSID also observed the unfolding of the election and possible irregularities, and presented its projections of the turnout, final results and validity of the vote. You can find all the latest presidential election news and photos here at B92. Nikolic concedes defeat at party HQ in Belgrade tonight (Tanjug)

Preliminary results: Tadić claims victory

The organization, with a strong track record in over 20 previous polls in Serbia and in the region, says that the margin of error of the final results is now below the level of statistical error, which means that Tadić's victory is secured.

At the same time, reports from the polling stations abroad show that expats voted overwhelmingly for Tadić, in Europe, North America, and Russia. Kosovo Serbs on the other hand showed support for Nikolić.

The Democrats and their supporters are celebrating in Belgrade's Terazije Square. Read about it in a separate article.

Meanwhile, the deputy presidnet of the SRS, Tomislav Nikolić, conceded deafeat and called for calm, after some lower-ranking officials sent ambiguous statements suggesting the party may contest the result.

The turnout in this election, according to the Electoral Commission (RIK) preliminary results, was at 67.2 percent.

Nikolić, the deputy leader of the opposition Serb Radical Party (SRS), and Tadić, the ruling Democratic Party (DS) president, were the two most successful candidates in the first round of the presidential ballot, held on Jan. 20.

Nikolić came on top two weeks ago with a margin of just over four percent, from a record turnout of 61 percent.

The historic vote today produced the first president in Serbia's history as an independent country.

Polling stations opened countrywide at 07:00 CET this morning, and closed at 20:00. RIK earlier in the week announced that that there is a total of 6,723,762 eligible and registered voters in Serbia, Tanjug news agency reported.

They have been casting their ballots at 8,481 polling stations.

The election was monitored by over 3,000 observers from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IACIS).

RIK granted CeSID 3,087 observer accreditations, while OSCE was allocated 23, IACIS three, Russian Duma eight and UK and U.S. embassies one each.

PACE has four observers – they were unable to monitor the first round due to preparations for its first 2008 session, which started on January 21, Tanjug said.

CeSID also observed the unfolding of the election and possible irregularities, and presented its projections of the turnout, final results and validity of the vote.

You can find all the latest presidential election news and photos here at B92.