Serbia-Montenegro

Low turnout negates presidential election

Serbians failed for the third time in a year Sunday to elect a president because of low voter turnout.

About 39 percent of registered voters cast ballots, exit polls showed, less than the 50 percent needed to validate the vote, said the independent Center for Free Elections and Democracy.

Ultranationalist Tomislav Nikolic, closely allied to former dictator Slobodan Milosevic, was ahead with 46.5 percent of vote, the unofficial results showed. Dragoljub Micunovic, a pro-democracy candidate who led pre-election polls, trailed with only 35 percent. Four other candidates shared the rest of the vote.

Because Parliament was dissolved last week, there is no government to call a new presidential vote. New parliamentary elections are set for Dec. 28.

Japan

Okinawa leader wants U.S. troops trimmed

Okinawa’s governor pleaded Sunday with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to remove some of the 28,000 U.S. forces stationed on this Japanese island and ease the environmental impact of military facilities.

In a meeting at his offices, Gov. Keiichi Inamine told Rumsfeld he understood that on matters of defense he had to defer to the national government in Tokyo. But he urged Rumsfeld to accept that Okinawans bear too much of Japan’s burden as hosts of Air Force, Navy, Army and Marine Corps bases.

Rumsfeld reminded Inamine that “this part of the world has seen peace” with U.S. forces present.