Washington, 20 November 1996 (RFE/RL) - The U.S. State Department said today it is keeping a close watch on events in Serbia following the weekend municipal elections that gave a clear lead to Serb opposition parties.
State Department spokesman Glyn Davies said the United States expects Serb authorities to keep to their commitment to observe democratic norms in the counting of ballots and certification of results.
The Zajedno opposition coalition says it won control over 32 municipalities, including Belgrade. But full official results are still awaited.
Davies said the top U.S. diplomat in Belgrade, Rudolf Perina, yesterday met with Zajedno leaders to discuss their concerns.
An opposition statement has warned Serb president Slobodan Milosevic against attempts to tamper with the vote.
Davies said the United States will continue to monitor the situation very closely.