Opposition Unites in Bid to Oust Milosevic
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia — Leaders of Serbia’s major opposition parties said Saturday that they would join forces to challenge President Slobodan Milosevic and his ruling party in presidential and parliamentary elections in September.
However, new election laws pushed through by Milosevic and a likely boycott of elections by the largest single opposition party, the Serbian Renewal Movement, mean that, even united, the opposition stands little chance against the Yugoslav leader.
The 15-party opposition bloc indicated Saturday that its invitation to the Serbian Renewal Movement to join the coalition remained open.
The opposition bloc ironed out details of joint lists and their strategy against the regime in the Sept. 24 federal elections. Last week, the bloc said it would also participate in local elections.
The bloc has yet to decide on a candidate to challenge Milosevic. Vojislav Kostunica of the center-right Democratic Party of Serbia is the likely choice, party sources said.
Earlier this month, Milosevic changed the country’s constitution, tilting the odds in his favor by reshuffling election districts in Serbia, the main Yugoslav republic.
The new law also allows Milosevic to run for two more four-year terms and requires only a simple majority for victory.
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