The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) is led by Vojislav Seselj, a war crimes suspect behind bars in The Hague.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Nationalists ahead in Serbia poll

Tomislav Nikolic had recently persuaded his Serbian Radical Party to approve the ratification of an important agreement with the European Union.

BBC: Serb opposition leader resigns

The ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party, whose leader is on trial at The Hague accused of war crimes, won most votes in Serbia's general election.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

The wild card in all these calculations is the enduring strength of extreme Serb nationalism, embodied by Vojislav Seselj, leader of the Serbian Radical Party.

ECONOMIST: Can the Serbs get rid of Milosevic?

By contrast, the party that might hope to gain from Mr Milosevic's death is the nationalist Serbian Radical Party, which although it is not in government is already the strongest in parliament.

ECONOMIST: The Balkans after Milosevic

Serbian Radical Party, are insanely nationalist.

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The bidders for power in Belgrade include the Socialists, formerly led by Mr Milosevic, and the Serbian Radical Party, which did well in December's general election: its founder, Vojislav Seselj, is so extreme that before surrendering to The Hague he called the Socialists too soft.

ECONOMIST: Serbia's troubles

This is because the largest Serbian opposition group, the ultranationalist Radical Party, has imploded thanks to an internal war between the devotees of Vojislav Seselj, currently standing trial for war crimes at the United Nations' tribunal in The Hague, and the allies of the more pragmatic Tomislav Nikolic, who led the party within Serbia.

ECONOMIST: The Serbian president has become unusually powerful