Serbian President Boris Tadic, the flag-bearer for a pro-European alliance, claimed victory in general elections.
‘At this moment, it is important to say that the citizens of Serbia have undoubtedly confirmed a clear European path for Serbia,’ Mr Tadic told a press conference.
‘They confirmed the aim to preserve our territorial integrity and sovereignty,’ added Mr Tadic, the leader of the Democratic Party (DS), in reference to Kosovo
‘I just want to remind you that (Kosovo's ethnic Albanian) authorities proclaimed independence just a couple of weeks ago.’
‘Despite such temptation, the Serbian people, all ethnic communities, have shown high political conscience and voted for the European path,’ he said in reference to fears of an anti-European voter backlash after some 40 mostly Western countries recognised Kosovo's statehood.
However Serb nationalist leader Tomislav Nikolic has disputed a claim by Mr Tadic that his party would form the next government following Sunday's parliamentary election.
‘There exist very clear possibilities of a coalition which does not include the Democratic Party (of Tadic),’ Mr Nikolic said in his first reaction to the election result.
He accused Mr Tadic of a ‘grave violation of the constitution’ by ruling out a coalition of nationalist parties, which collectively were close to a majority of seats in parliament although Mr Tadic's party won most votes in the field of five.
EU welcomes Tadic victory
The European Union welcomed a ‘clear victory’ for pro-European forces in the election and said it hoped it would result in the quick formation of a government with a ‘clear European agenda.’
A statement from the Slovenian EU presidency said, that provided Serbia met EU conditions, ‘this should enable Serbia to advance further on its EU path, including the candidate status.’
According to the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy CeSID count based on 50% of their sample count, the ‘For a European Serbia’ coalition had garnered 39 percent of the vote, versus 28 percent for the ultra-nationalist Radical Party.
The election is seen as the most important since the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.
The vote could decide whether Serbia heads towards integration with the European Union.
More than 6.7m voters, including more than 115,000 Serbs in Kosovo, will elect 250 parliamentary deputies, as well as local councillors.
The vote was called in March after the year-old government of conservative nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica collapsed in a rift over ties with the EU after most member states recognised Kosovo's independence.
The Radicals' leader, Tomislav Nikolic, insists that the EU must recognise that Kosovo is Serbia.
The parliamentary and local elections will also be held in Kosovo despite opposition from the UN and Kosovo Albanians, who see the local polls as an illegal attempt by Serbia to partition the breakaway territory.
The parliament of Kosovo, whose ethnic Albanians make up around 90% of its 1.8m population, unilaterally declared independence on 17 February.
Since then, about 40 countries led by the US, Australia, Canada and Japan have recognised Kosovo, fuelling anti-Western anger, protests and violence in Serbia.
That anger has bolstered hardliners who want stronger ties with Russia, China, Arab and African nations instead of countries that have helped to carve off what most Serbs consider their medieval heartland.
Besides the issue of Kosovo, politicians have also promised better living standards, a key concern in Serbia which is still impoverished after years of economic sanctions for its policies during the Balkan wars in the 1990s.
