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Riding high on a wave of nationalism, incumbent Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and other former Communists appeared headed for victory Sunday in elections that may have been the last chance to salvage a united Yugoslavia.
Counting bogged down as the renamed Socialist Party and opposition leaders accused each other of manipulation and voting irregularities. Partial returns were still being held back from Yugoslav media more than five hours after the polls closed.
But opposition leaders monitoring the returns independently conceded they were behind the former Communists in most parliamentary races and that Milosevic was far ahead of his rivals for the presidency.
Official returns are expected today, according to Election Commission chairman Caslav Ignjatovic.
Milosevic had to win a majority in the first round, since virtually everyone who supported opponents would continue to vote anti-Communist in any runoff.
"It seems to us that the Communists will get their 50%," lamented Dragan Veselinov, head of the National Peasants Party.
Runoff elections in districts where no candidate receives at least 50% of...