Serbian presidential election, 2008

Infobox Election
election_name = Serbian presidential election, 2008
country = Serbia
type = presidential
ongoing = no
previous_election = Serbian presidential election, 2007
previous_year = 2007
next_election =
next_year =
election_date = January 20 and February 3, 2008

candidate1 = Boris Tadić
party1 = Democratic Party (Serbia)
popular_vote1 = 2,304,467
percentage1 = 51.19%

candidate2 = Tomislav Nikolić
party2 = Serbian Radical Party
popular_vote2 = 2,197,155
percentage2 = 48.81%

title = President
before_election = Boris Tadić
before_party = Democratic Party of Serbia
after_election = Boris Tadić
after_party = Democratic Party of SerbiaPolitics of Serbiathumb|right|150px|upright|Leading candidates by Municipalities (1st round): ">legend|white|none
thumb|right|150px|Map by Municipalities (2nd round):">legend|white|noneA pre-term presidential election was held in Serbia on January 20 and February 3 2008. Incumbent President Boris Tadić was reelected as President of Serbia in the second round with 51.61 percent of the votes cast, defeating challenger Tomislav Nikolić. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7225455.stm BBC: Serbia election victory for Tadic] , Sunday, 3 February 2008.] The election for President was the first since Serbia's separation from its state union with Montenegro. The first round of elections was held on January 20, 2008, when none of the candidates secured an absolute majority of the votes cast. Thus a run-off election took place on February 3 2008 between Tomislav Nikolić of the "SRS" and Boris Tadić of the "DS" (the incumbent President) who finished first and second respectively in the first round. [cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/12/europe/EU-POL-Serbia-Elections.php|title=Serbian key presidential elections set for Jan. 20|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=2007-12-12|access date=2007-12-12] 6,708,697 registered voters were able to vote, which was around 50,000 more since the parliamentary election held in the beginning of 2007, on 8,481 electoral posts across Serbia and 65 in 36 foreign countries. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=01&dd=15&nav_id=46939 B92 - News - Politics - RIK changes voter tally ] ] Of that figure, 37,053 are abroad, 9,187 in military service and 8,201 in prison. Persons residing in Montenegro with Serbian citizenship were also allowed to vote in seven Montenegrin towns: Podgorica, Berane, Herceg Novi, Budva, Tivat, Sutomore and Andrijevica. [cite news|url=http://www.vijesti.cg.yu/vijesti_old/naslovna.php?akcija=vijest&id=259069|title=Birališta u sedam gradova|publisher=Vijesti|date=2008-01-20|access date=2008-01-20]

A revote of the second round was held in Dobro Polje due to some irregularities on 12 February 2008. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=02&dd=12&nav_id=47650 B92 - News - Politics - Repeat voting in Dobro Polje begins ] ] Tadić was sworn in for his second term on 15 February 2008. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=02&dd=15&nav_id=47731 B92 - News - Politics - Tadić: Frozen conflict, diplomatic ties in place ] ]

Background

The previous session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted a Constitutional Law on 10 November 2006 that proclaimed the new Constitution. As per it, parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulić was to schedule the election by 31 December 2007 or 60 days after the new laws regarding the President of the Republic, presidential elections, defense, the military, foreign affairs and the security services are passed [ [http://www.novosti.co.yu/code/navigate.php?Id=1&status=jedna&vest=96098&datum=2006-09-30 Pecat na ustav] Vecernje novosti] . Five of the six necessary laws on presidential elections was passed by the parliamentary majority on 11 December 2007. The presidential mandate has been lengthened from four to five years.

On 13 December 2007 Dulić had scheduled the first round of election for January 20 and second round for February 3 2008. The Electoral Commission of the Republic of Serbia declared that candidates were due to apply on December 30 2007 the latest, submitting 10,000 signatures.

The OSCE and CIS were be the nation-wide neutral observer of the election, including several British and American observers.

Two parties representing the Albanians from Preševo Valley, the Democratic Union of the Valley and the Party of Democratic Action called for Albanians from outside Kosovo to participate in the election. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=12&dd=25&nav_id=46459Valley Albanians likely won't boycott vote] B92]

Results

1st Round

Candidates

See also

* President of Serbia
* Elections in Serbia
* Serbian presidential election, 2004

References