Ethnic nationalists lead Bosnia elections

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Bosnia's Serb and Croat nationalists were leading in president ballot-counting Tuesday, while Muslims were favoring a unionist.

With 40 percent of Sunday votes counted, Haris Silajdzic, leader of the unionist Bosnia-Herzegovina party, had 38 percent of the votes in quest for one of three presidential spots, the Serbian news agency Beta reported Tuesday.

Ivo Miro Jovic, led the pack of nationalist Croatians with 12 percent for the second presidential slot, while incumbent Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik declared a victory as he garnered about 52 percent of votes.

The three ethnic groups will provide their leaders for a three-member rotating presidency that governs the single state of Bosnia-Herzegovina, composed of two entities, the Muslim-Croat federation and the Bosnian Serb-run Republika Srpska.

Christian Schwarz-Schilling, high representative of the U.N. Security Council, praised elections as free, fair and dignified, Beta reported.

The 1992-95 Bosnian war was ended with the U.S.-brokered Dayton peace agreement when the United Nations installed a protectorate with a civilian administration and NATO peacekeeping troops.

The U.N. plans to abolish the protectorate next year.