IRI Alumnus Elected President of Serbia

July 8, 2004

Serbia held the second round of Presidential elections on June 27, with Democratic Party (DS) candidate Boris Tadic soundly defeating nationalist Radical Party candidate Tomislav Nikolic 54 percent to 46 percent. The election, a run-off between the two highest vote-getters from the June 13 first round, was closely watched by the international community as a referendum by the Serbian people to either push forward with the process of reform or return to the isolationist, xenophobic policies of the 1990s. IRI provided assistance to the Tadic campaign at virtually every stage of the process, from training for DS headquarters and regional coordinators in campaign planning and direct voter contact, to polling and message development, and regular consultations with the campaign team and Tadic himself. Tadic’s campaign strategy and message were directly in line with IRI’s recommendations, and campaign plans formulated by DS regional coordinators at IRI’s campaign seminars formed the basis of the DS campaign’s regional campaign plans. The results of the election were widely thought to hinge on voter turnout, with lower turnout benefiting the Radical party. IRI, with NDI and Freedom House, co-sponsored the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) to carry out a targeted Get-Out-the-Vote program aimed at motivating democratically-oriented voters.

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