Serbian President Boris Tadic announced Wednesday he would stand down nearly a year early and contest a snap election in a move seen as a bid to boost his party's hopes at polls next month. Tadic, who will formally to tender his resignation on Thursday, had been due to remain in office until next February but he will now try and secure another five-year mandate on May 6, the same day as parliamentary and local elections.
"I decided to shorten my mandate to allow presidential elections to be held on May 6. I will be a candidate," Tadic said in a statement. Analysts say that holding joint polls could energise what has been a lacklustre campaign so far and motivate voters who have shown little interest.
Recent surveys have shown that Tadic's centre-left Democratic Party (DS) - which heads Serbia's ruling coalition - was trailing its main rival, the opposition right-wing populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Neither party is expected to win enough votes to be able to govern alone and will be forced to seek coalition partners. "Tadic probably estimates that he, as a candidate, could motivate more disappointed voters and increase the DS share of the vote," conservative analyst Djordje Vukadinovic told Serbian state television RTS.
Serbia finally obtained EU candidate status last month after progress in its talks with its breakaway province Kosovo and the arrest of the two most wanted war crime suspects, Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Majority ethnic Albanian Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008 and has since been recognised by 89 countries, including most EU member states. But Serbia rejects the move and still considers Kosovo its southern province, leading to continued tensions between Belgrade and Pristina.
In recent years the global economic crisis and slow pace of reforms in the country have led to rising unemployment and lack of investment. Almost a million of Serbia's 7.2 million inhabitants are out of work and the average monthly salary is around 350 euros ($466).
"The people will have the opportunity to decide which path Serbia will take," Tadic said, adding he was "sure Serbia will keep on its path towards the European Union". Most surveys show that Tadic, 54, is likely to face his long-time rival, Tomislav Nikolic, 60, of the SNS, in a presidential run-off. Analyst Vladimir Goati said Tadic would have the edge because he already has "a leader's charisma."
Dejan Vuk Stankovic, an analyst for a local thinktank, told AFP the simultaneous presidential vote "can personalise the campaign ... (and) a joint vote can increase turnout and keep costs down". Djordje Vukovic of independent election monitors CESID said the main issues for both the presidential and parliamentary campaign would be "the same things: economy, unemployment, the standard of living and corruption." Although Tadic has already served two terms, he is eligible to run for a third and final time as his first mandate was before the break-up of Serbia's loose federation with Montenegro in 2006 and the constitution has since been changed.
Tadic said early elections were also needed for European integration as the government would need "a new legitimacy given by citizens" to push through tough political and economic reforms. After Tadic formally informs parliament speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic of his resignation, she must call a presidential election and will serve as acting head of state until the ballot.