INSTANT VIEW-Serb parties seek coalition after ambivalent vote

BELGRADE, May 12 (Reuters) - A coalition of pro-Western parties came first in Serbia's parliamentary election on Sunday but faced an immediate challenge from the nationalist runners-up who said they too could form a government.

Independent monitors said the alliance led by the Democratic Party had won 39 percent of the vote, ahead of the nationalist Radical Party which got 29 percent.

Following are reactions from analysts and commentators:



JON LEVY, ANALYST, EURASIA GROUP

"It is still a question of what kind of coalition there will be. Investors' preference will be for accession to the European Union, for stable macroeconomic policy."



CEDOMIR CUPIC, PROFESSOR, BELGRADE UNIVERSITY

If the pro-Western bloc forms the government "Serbia will get a lot of benefits, including credits and investments, that will boost the country's economy".

SLOBODAN ANTONIC, POLITICAL ANALYST

"The Socialist Party (of late autocrat Slobodan Milosevic) will decide who will form the government. Their negotiating position is difficult because their voters are closer to the Radicals ... but the benefits of them joining the coalition could be greater."

DRAGOLJUB ZARKOVIC, COMMENTATOR FOR WEEKLY "VREME"

"The fact that the Democratic Party is the single strongest party doesn't mean that they will form the government. It is going to be a game of small numbers and big money and interests."



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(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac)