"The United States hopes to see a free and fair presidential election in Serbia on June 27 held in compliance with international standards," State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli said June 25.

The run-off election is being held because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote needed for an outright victory in the first round of balloting June 13. The candidates are Boris Tadic of the Democratic Party and Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbian Radical Party.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
June 25, 2004

STATEMENT BY ADAM ERELI, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN

Election in Serbia

The United States hopes to see a free and fair presidential election in Serbia on June 27 held in compliance with international standards. This election is an opportunity to further Serbia's development as a peaceful, democratic state, governed by rule of law. We encourage the Serbian people to exercise their vote and to continue to support the democratic reforms that started October 5, 2000.