(24 Sep 2000) Serbo-Croat/Nat
XFA
In the biggest challenge ever to Slobodan Milosevic's rule, voters cast their ballots for a new president and parliament on Sunday in a historic vote, which polls say the Yugoslav leader may lose.
An independent monitoring group reported major voting irregularities by midday that included opposition representatives being kicked out of polling stations or not allowed to inspect voters' lists, voting boxes and ballots.
Police were present in front of many polling stations, and there was public - instead of secret - voting in southern regions of Serbia, the group said.
In Podgorica, the capital of independence-minded republic of Montenegro where its leaders urged for a boycott of the vote, Yugoslav army patrolled near the polling stations.
Momir Bulatovic, the Yugoslav Prime Minister and Milosevic ally said he believed Milosevic would step down if Kostunica won but he added that he thought Milosevic would win in the first round.
But many voters in Montenegro considered the vote a waste of time and observers spoke of major irregularities.
Troops of the Yugoslav army voted in their barracks in Montenegro Sunday - but not all of them will be supporting President Slobodan Milosevic.
But Predrag Bulatovic, of Montenegro's Socialist People's Party, aligned to Milosevic, believes ties between Podgorica and Belgrade will remain close after Sunday's federal election.
Bulatovic said that he is convinced that the party of Milosevic will win.
The election campaign has been marred by allegations of irregularities and a crackdown against opposition supporters.
In one town opposition representatives were banned from a polling station but managed to get in by force, only to find that the ballot boxes had been stuffed in advance with ballots for Milosevic, the group said.
Sunday's election marks the first time Yugoslavs have ever chosen a president directly.
But the turn-out was very low.
According to Montenegran Television the turn-out at 1700 local (1500 GMT) was 11,6 per cent in Montenegro, round 40 per cent in Serbia.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"Of course we want to create a democratic society and believe it or not - Milosevic is a democrat and will accept the election result."
SUPER CAPTION: Momir Bulatovic, Yugoslav Prime Minister
SOUNDBITE (Serbo-Croat)
"Sure I will vote, these elections are very important and every citizen of Montenegro should vote."
SUPER CAPTION: Voxpops
SOUNDBITE (Serbo-Croat)
"This is a farce, I can't have any insight into who voted and under which number."
SUPER CAPTION: Observer of Democratic Opposition of Serbia
SOUNDBITE (Serbo-Croat)
"I believe this is a pure failure, a waste of time, only this morning they displayed the numbers of the polling stations so people don't know where to go, now you have ECMM European Community Monitor Mission cars in the streets."
SUPER CAPTION: Voxpops
SOUNDBITE (English)
"We' re not accredited monitors and therefore we cannot go to the polling stations, but we can of course talk to the members of the electoral board if of course they wish to do so."
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Franckland, Deputy Head of the Regional ECMM of Montenegro
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"The federal government has managed this fight. The blockade, which I will call primitive to organise what was actually the duty of the Republican government. There is no Republic in Montenegro today. The federal state is functioning, and the Socialist People's party will certainly be the strongest party in the federal parliament."
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
SOUNDBITE: (English)
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