Ultra-nationalist win puts Serbia's future on hold

BELGRADE (AFP) - Ultra-nationalists have claimed victory in Serbian elections after a splintered vote failed to deliver on European hopes of a clear mandate for a pro-Western reformist government in Belgrade.

Official estimates gave the hardline Serbian Radical Party, whose leader, Vojislav Seselj, is on trial for war crimes at the UN tribunal in The Hague, 28.7 percent of Sunday's vote.

The pro-European Democratic Party of President Boris Tadic was second with 22.9 percent, followed by moderate nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) with 16.7 percent.

With no party obtaining an outright majority, Kostunica looked set to play the role of kingmaker in any future coalition government.

"We have won as we had expected," said the Radicals' candidate for prime minister, Tomislav Nikolic, adding, however, that he was "not convinced" his party would be able to form a government.