Serbia in coalition scramble after ambivalent vote

By Ellie Tzortzi

BELGRADE (Reuters) - A coalition of pro-Western parties came first in Serbia's parliamentary election on Sunday but faced an immediate challenge from the nationalist runners-up who said they too could form a government.

Independent monitors said the alliance led by the Democratic Party had won 39 percent of the vote, ahead of the nationalist Radical Party which got 29 percent.

The rolling count by the state election commission put the Democrats at 36.7 percent, the Radicals at 28.5 percent.

The election was fought on whether Serbs should swallow their anger over European Union support for the independence of Kosovo, the Serb province which seceded in February, or turn their backs on the bid for EU membership.

The Democrats celebrated in the streets, and their leader, President Boris Tadic, said: "Serbs have undoubtedly confirmed a clear European path.

"This is a great victory, but it's not over yet," Tadic said. "I want us to be aware that we must form a new government as soon as possible".

The Radicals' leader, Tomislav Nikolic, said the Democrat claim of victory jumped the gun. There were "very clear possibilities of a coalition which does not include the Democratic Party", he said.

Nikolic said he would talk to the two parties that share the Radicals' ideology, the Democratic Party of Serbia led by outgoing nationalist premier Vojislav Kostunica and the Socialists of the late Slobodan Milosevic.