Milosevic ally leads in presidential vote

Independent monitors said an ally of late autocrat Slobodan Milosevic had edged ahead of the pro-Western incumbent in Serbia’s presidential election today, but failed to win an outright majority – forcing the two into a run-off.

Belgrade’s Centre for Free Elections and Democracy, which independently counted votes alongside election officials, said Radical Party leader Tomislav Nikolic had received about 39% of the first-round vote, compared with incumbent Boris Tadic’s 35%. A run-off is scheduled for February 3.