BBC News Online: World: Europe

Yugoslav companies sued over 'negative' polls

A pro-government organisation in Yugoslavia is suing market research firms for conducting public opinion polls which suggest the opposition could win this Sunday's elections.

The organisation the Patriotic Union of Yugoslavia accused the companies of falsifying the results of the surveys, which it said were paid for by the West.

The last opinion poll published predicted that an opposition candidate, Vojislav Kostunica, would get around ten-percent more votes than president Slobodan Milosevic.

Yugoslav officials say their own research shows Mr Kostunica has only limited support. Campaigning for Sunday's election is now officially over but a BBC correspondent in Belgrade says state-run television is finding subtle ways of continuing to promote the government view.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service