Serbia presidential vote date in dispute

BELGRADE, Serbia, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Disagreements within Serbia's coalition government parties surfaced Thursday about the date for presidential elections.

The conservative nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica voiced strong opposition to the Jan. 20 presidential polls, the date set Wednesday by the parliamentary speaker, Belgrade media reported.

Kostunica insisted that presidential elections will be some time in March, when the status of Serbia's breakaway predominantly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo province is likely to be known, Belgrade's B92 radio said.

Boris Tadic, the incumbent Serbian president and his pro-EU Democratic Party prefer the presidential elections are before the international community decides on the future of Kosovo.

Tadic and his pro-Western party accept the first round of presidential elections Jan. 20 and a runoff, if needed, Feb. 3.

Kostunica's pro-Russian party fears leaders of Kosovo Albanians, with Western support, would declare independence from Serbia in the spring. This is likely to boost the number of Kostunica's supporters at the polling stations.

In presidential elections, Tadic will compete with Tomislav Nikolic, leader of the Serbian ultranationalist Radical Party, which is opposing Serbia's membership in NATO and advocates close ties with Russia.