Serb nationalists narrowly ahead of pro-EU liberals on eve of key election

SERBIA:A DEEPLY divided Serbia will choose in a general election tomorrow between western-backed liberals who want to move swiftly towards the EU, and nationalists who vow to freeze ties with Brussels and abandon the hunt for war crimes suspects.

Polls and analysts suggest the ultra-nationalist Radical Party will narrowly beat the pro-EU Democrats, and then try to form a coalition with the likely third-placed party of prime minister Vojislav Kostunica and the smaller Socialists, once led by Slobodan Milosevic. Such a scenario deeply worries the EU, which has sought to boost the Democrats' chances with a pre-accession deal and the offer of free visas to Serbs. Brussels and Washington also fear that a nationalist-run Serbia would become a Balkan stronghold for Russian political and financial interests.

Mr Kostunica and Radicals leader Tomislav Nikolic agree that Serbia should not have any dealings with the EU until it denounces Kosovo's independence and scraps plans to oversee it.

President Boris Tadic, who leads the Democrats, also refuses to accept Kosovo's sovereignty, but is intent on taking Serbia towards EU accession. "It was ordered by Washington, then obeyed in Brussels and then someone in Belgrade agreed to it," Mr Kostunica said of Kosovo's independence. "Serbia needs a nationally responsible government that will tell the world that Kosovo is Serbia and will always remain so," he added.

In response, Mr Tadic accused his erstwhile ally of "brutally lying to the people by saying Serbia's pro-European path is a way to lose Kosovo. The May 11th election will be a referendum which will decide whether Serbia will join the European Union, or return to its isolation and general despair."

Mr Nikolic has already offered to join forces with Mr Kostunica and to ask him to remain as premier. The Radicals' leader advocates closer ties with Russia and China and has vowed not to send any indicted war criminals to the UN court in The Hague.

"Serbia faces a critical decision this weekend. Support between these two groups, the pro-European democratic group and the more rear-mirror-looking nationalistic group, is rather even," EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said yesterday. "I hope Serbia would turn towards Europe because it would be better for Serbia and for Europe."