Serbia has voted for a new reformist government and handed it a massive mandate to tackle the country's collapsed economy and corrupt state.
"This is the most convincing victory in the history of the Serbian parliament and will be hard to repeat," said Mr Cedomir Jovanovic, a top aide of the prime minister-designate, Mr Zoran Djindjic.
The new government of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) is on track to win 176 seats in the 250-seat parliament, while the Socialist Party has a mere 37. The biggest surprise of the elections was the rise of the right-wing nationalist Serbian Unity Party founded by the assassinated former paramilitary Zeljko Raznatovic, known as Arkan. Defying all expectations, it won 14 seats, while another right-wing group, the Serbian Radicals, won 23.
The Serbian Unity Party's success shows that a substantial percentage of voters still supports the Greater Serbia ideal of the Milosevic era. When the various right-wing votes are totalled, it could be inferred that more than one in 10 Serbs still supports a radical right-wing agenda.
A pressing set of political and economic problems faces the new government and people have high expectations and not a lot of patience.
Top of the political agenda is the relationship of Kosovo and Montenegro within the federation; the infiltration of Albanian separatists in southern Serbia is also a cause for concern; but on the social and economic front, the immediate worry is an electricity crisis.
Meanwhile, two senior Milosevic military allies, Gen Milorad Obradovic and Admiral Milan Zec were yesterday removed from their posts. Both had been linked to the aggressive Milosevic policy in Montenegro, which many feared could lead the two Yugoslav states into war.
By removing these two figures from the posts they held, the DOS leaders at the federal level have signalled their desire to appease the pro-independence Montenegrin President, Mr Milo Djukanovic.
The day after Serbia went to the polls, prolonged electricity cuts left homes and factories across the country in darkness for as long as eight hours. A state of emergency was announced in the central town of Cacak because of the collapse in energy supplies, while in the southern town of Nis people smashed the door of the state electricity service in frustration at the blackouts.
Energy minister Mr Srboljub Antic announced a rise in electricity prices and newspapers actually list the hours when people will receive power - rather than when they will be without.
Despite the large mandate given to DOS, there is not much patience among the people. Research by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) shows that less than half the population (44 per cent) realises that the problems ahead will take time to solve - and they are mainly the educated class.
Polls show the major concern of most people is the economy; next they want improved salaries and a good standard of living and third, progress in the fight against crime and corruption.
Mr Djindjic has announced that he believes an investigation against Mr Milosevic will begin next month. This is the formal way the country begins pre-trial proceedings.
Faced with all these difficulties, the length of time available to the new government to effect change is limited.
The longstanding political rivalry between President Vojislav Kostunica and Mr Djindjic is expected to develop into open conflict now that the election is over and done with. Many predict that the coalition could split under the pressure within six to eight months.