US calls for unified Yugoslav opposition

The United States has again called on the Yugoslav opposition to unite against President Slobodan Milosevic in next month's presidential election.

A State Department Spokesman, Richard Boucher, stressed the importance of the opposition supporting a single presidential candidate.

But the opposition is now split between two candidates.

Most of the opposition parties have nominated Vojislav Kostunica , but the biggest single opposition party , Vuk Draskovic's Serbian Renewal Movement, has chosen the Mayor of Belgrade, Vojislav Mihajlovic, instead. Three of the leaders of the other parties have appealed to Mr Draskovic to reconsider. The BBC Belgrade correspondent says the disunity in the opposition has increased President Milosevic's chances of re-election.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service