(29 Dec 2003)
Belgrade, 29 December 2003
1. Wide exterior of parliament
2. Christmas tree in street
3. Flag flying
4. Belgrade street scene
5. Various of news stand
6. Various newspaper headlines and newspaper photos of the radical party celebrating

7. Wide shot presser
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Murat Mercan, representative of Council of Europe (election observer from EU)
"We regret that three candidate lists are led by indicted war criminals, which sends out a negative message."
9. Cutaway cameras
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Murat Mercan, representative of Council of Europe
"While formally not in breach of the law, it shows a lack of political responsibility and is a reminder that a number of political parties in Serbia are still caught up in the denounced legacy of the past,"

Belgrade, FILE (23 February 2003)
11. Various of Vojislav Seselj, former Radical Party leader on stage waving to supporters
12. Close up Seselj

Belgrade, 29 December 2003
13. Radical Party headquarters exterior
14. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Tomislav Nikolic, a leader of the Radical Party:
"The Radical Party is welcoming the Democratic Party of Serbia. It is obvious that some parts of our political programmes are similar, or even the same and we can combine into (to create a new) a government. We suggest to the Democratic Party of Serbia to constitute the Parliament of Serbia together. The voters of the Democratic Party of Serbia want to see many goals achieved, the same as the voters of the Radical Party. We suggest to the Democratic Party of Serbia to constitute the new Parliament of Serbia together as soon as possible."
15. Wide shot journalists at presser

STORYLINE:

An extreme nationalist party that supported Slobodan Milosevic's Balkan war campaigns triumphed in Serbia's parliamentary elections, according to official results released on Monday.

The Serbian Radical Party won 81 seats in Sunday's ballot for the 250-seat parliament, leaving behind pro-Western groups that toppled the former Yugoslav president three years ago.

With more than 90 percent of the ballots counted, Serbia's State Election Commission also announced that the conservative Democratic Party of Serbia won 53 seats, while the pro-Western Democratic Party that dominated the outgoing government won 37 seats.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the balloting was "generally conducted in line with international standards", but the Council of Europe, the continent's human rights watchdog, expressed concern that war crimes suspects were among the candidates.

"While formally not in breach of the law, it shows a lack of political responsibility and is a reminder that a number of political parties in Serbia are still caught up in the denounced legacy of the past," said Murat Mercan, a Council of Europe representative.

Milosevic and Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj, also jailed in The Hague awaiting his war crimes trial, were candidates in the elections.

Their parties will decide whether they will get seats in the parliament once the legislature is constituted in early January.

The Radicals openly call for a "Greater Serbia" at the expense of the republic's Balkan neighbours and have pledged to cut diplomatic ties with Serbia's wartime rival, Croatia.

They also vow not to extradite to The Hague tribunal the two top UN war crimes fugitives - former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his wartime military commander, General Ratko Mladic.

The Radicals on Monday offered to form a new government with the moderate nationalist Democratic Party of Serbia.







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