Serbia fails to elect a president ­ again

For the second time in less than three months, Serbia failed to elect a new president due to voter apathy, which prevented the turnout from reaching the necessary 50 per cent of the 6.5 million electorate.

The state electoral commission confirmed last night that the election failed, saying the turnout was 44 per cent, about 3 per cent less than in October.

The President of Yugoslavia, Vojislav Kostunica, a moderate rightist and nationalist, won most votes in the October vote, and independent observers said that he gathered 58 per cent of yesterday's vote.

Exit polls showed that Vojislav Seselj, the ultra-nationalist head of the Serbian Radical Party, won 36 per cent, and Borislav Pelevic, who leads the small nationalist party founded by the late warlord, Arkan, won 3.4 per cent.

It was a bitterly cold day, but the bad weather was not the main culprit. Analysts said the reason for the shambles was the poor choice of candidates.

"It's a choice between bad and worse" said Miljana Petrovic, 44, a Belgrade teacher who did not vote. "All three are deeply in the past, without casting a glance into the future."

The candidates gave few promises to break with the strong nationalism of the past, linked to the former leader Slobodan Milosevic. Instead, they focused their campaigns on attacks against the Serbian government of the reformist Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic.

Mr Djindjic was blamed for the painful transition into the market economy that has hurt many Serbs since Mr Milosevic fell from power two years ago. Although on trial for war crimes in The Hague, Mr Milosevic called on his supporters to vote for Mr Seselj.

The inconclusive result does not mean that Serbia will face the future without a president. The constitution provides for the parliamentary speaker to assume the post until a president is elected. For the first time, Serbia could have a woman at the helm, as the parliamentary speaker is Natasa Micic.