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The former far-right politician, who is a self-declared "Russia lover," only a few years ago said that he would rather see Serbia become a Russian province than an EU member, and has hailed Mladic and Karadzic as "Serbian heroes." "Of course I had to change, I've been a politician for 22 years," said Nikolic, nicknamed "Toma the Gravedigger" for running a cemetery in the 1980s. "The people of Serbia have changed," he said during the campaign. Nikolic, who has split from the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party, was in Milosevic's government during the violent crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists in 1999 that prompted NATO to bombard Serbia for 78 days until Milosevic pulled his troops out of the province. Tadic told a campaign rally this week that "those who have shamed us" must not be allowed to govern Serbia. He said the voters have a choice to continue with "progress and development" or risk "the uncertainty." Polls indicate Nikolic would not be able to come to power without the help of a small conservative party led by former president and prime minister Vojislav Kostunica, which is staunchly anti-EU and promises (EURO)10 billion ($13 billion) in Russian "development loans" if Serbia turns to Moscow instead. Tadic has had the support of the Socialists, the party founded by Milosevic in the 90's, but which has now switched to a pro-EU stance. The Socialists, who are likely to become kingmakers by placing third in the vote, have been noncommittal about which side they will support after the elections. Milosevic died in his prison cell during his U.N. war crimes trial in 2006.
[Associated
Press;
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