Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party announces victory in local government elections

2024-06-02 22:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party announces victory in local government

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party is claiming a landslide victory in Sunday's local government elections, including a runoff in Belgrade.

The Serbian president, announcing the victory, said that his party will have the majority in the Belgrade assembly of 110 seats. "This is an incredible victory," he said during a press conference.

But some opposition parties said the polls were conducted with major irregularities.

The main opposition candidate from the "Movement and Change" list Savo Manojlovic said that his alliance will not recognize the results. "This was the most irregular election ever," he told supporters.

Earlier in the day, opposition supporters clashed with activists of the Serbian Progressive Party in Belgrade and the northern city of Novi Sad.

Law enforcement authorities in Serbia said the elections were peaceful and there were no serious incidents.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i?'s Progressive Party will further strengthen its broad control over power in the country, amid criticism for suppressing democracy.

Elections in the Serbian capital were repeated after reports of widespread irregularities last December fueled political tensions and accusations that President Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party rigged the vote. The ruling populists were accused in December last year by the opposition and independent observers of busing voters from other parts of Serbia and from neighboring Bosnia, which they have denied. Similar reports were published by opposition supporters on social media on Sunday.

President Vu?i? officially wants his troubled nation to join the European Union, but has repeatedly moved away from European values ??of democracy while maintaining close ties to Russia and China. Serbia has refused to join Western sanctions against Moscow over its aggression in Ukraine. The Serbian Progressive Party has presented itself as the only political force capable of running the country and keeping it safe in a time of global turmoil.

Pro-Western opposition groups have accused President Vu?i? of ties to crime, rampant corruption and suppression of democracy. But a broad alliance behind last year's massive anti-government street protests has split and former allies have turned on each other, fueling apathy among Serbia's 6.5 million voters.

President Vu?i?'s ruling party is expected to win on Sunday. It has controlled all levels of power in Serbia for more than a decade, so if the opposition manages to win some of the municipal assemblies, not to mention the big cities, it would be a significant change.

Local elections in Serbia, reported irregularities
June 2, 21:37

Opposition groups were divided over whether to participate in the elections or continue with demands for free and fair elections. Those who competed for power in the city of Belgrade, campaigned under the slogan "We choose to fight"!

International election observers said last December's parliamentary and local elections were held under "unfair conditions", in part because of the president's involvement and systemic advantages for the ruling party.

An OSCE/ODIHR report said the elections were "damaged by harsh rhetoric, bias in the media, pressure on public sector workers and misuse of public resources".

Local election observers said not much had changed despite a series of recommendations issued by international observers after the December vote.

The elections in the Presheva Valley

Local government elections were also held in two of the three municipalities inhabited by Albanians in the south of Serbia.

In the municipality of Presheva, there were 6 Albanian political parties and one Serbian party in competition, in Bujanoc, meanwhile, there were 4 Albanian parties, 4 Serbs and a party of the Roma national minority in competition.

The representatives of the Albanians say that the difficulties that the region faces, from the lack of economic investments to the non-recognition of diplomas and especially the process of "passivation" of the addresses of the Albanians, have affected the ethnic balance and consequently the political representation of the Albanians from this region. ./ VOA