BELGRADE, December 30 One of the leaders of the pro-Western opposition bloc » Serbia against violence» Marinika Tepic, who has been on a hunger strike since December 18, called for the results of the December 17 elections to be annulled.
On Saturday, the largest rally of the pro-Western opposition against the results of the parliamentary and municipal elections held on December 17 is taking place on Terazije Square near the Moskva Hotel in the center of Belgrade.
Opposition deputy Tepic, who has been on a hunger strike within the walls of the republican election commission since December 18, was brought onto the stage by her comrades arm in arm.
«I'm sorry I can't tell you more than I already said. These elections must be annulled,» said one of the opposition leaders. Her comrades took her from the stage and informed her that the hunger striker was forced to go to the hospital for health reasons straight from the rally.
In Serbia, polling stations opened on Saturday for repeat parliamentary and municipal elections in Belgrade, the electoral commission said. The Republican Electoral Commission (REC), in connection with complaints received about the course of the elections on December 17, scheduled a repeat vote in the parliamentary elections in Serbia on Saturday at 35 polling stations (about 8.3 thousand in total — ed.), the city electoral commission is holding a repeat vote in municipal elections in Belgrade at three more voting places. The expression of will takes place on Saturday from 7.00 (9.00 Moscow time) to 20.00 (22.00 Moscow time). Over 19.5 thousand people have the right to vote.
After the closure of polling stations, precinct commissions must submit protocols to the REC within 96 hours. After this, within another 72 hours, the republican commission accepts complaints and approves the preliminary results of the expression of will. On Saturday night, the REC rejected dozens of complaints from the right-wing coalition «Milica Djurdjevic-Stamenkovski — Bosko Obradovic — National Assembly — State-forming force» about the parliamentary elections held on December 17. Members of the republican commission approved the cancellation of the results of the expression of will in only four polling stations due to photography, lack of necessary equipment and a complaint from a resident of the village of Backi Petrovac about formal obstacles to his voting.
The Republican Election Commission indicated that, according to the preliminary report of the OSCE/ODIHR mission, the December 17 elections in Serbia went mostly smoothly, without major problems, observers assessed the voting positively at 93% of polling stations. At a meeting on Friday, the REC reminded the pro-Western opposition bloc Serbia Against Violence that demands for the annulment of the results of the elections to the Assembly, the representative body of the city of Belgrade, should be sent to the City Election Commission (CEC).
The opposition pro-Western coalition Serbia Against Violence previously stated that its observers would not monitor voting in the repeat elections. At the same time, the pro-Western movement remains on the ballot, and supporters will be able to vote for it.
Early electionsRIK previously registered 18 blocs and parties. Over 2.8 thousand candidates are vying for 250 seats in the unicameral parliament. To enter the Assembly, a political movement must overcome the barrier of 3% of the votes.
By law, Serbia's electoral commission must report final election results within 96 hours of the polls closing, after which a 30-day period begins to form a new parliament with a four-year mandate. After the delivery of mandates to deputies, a period of 90 days opens for the formation of a new government.
According to the decision published by the city electoral commission on the preliminary results of the municipal elections based on the results of processing materials from 92.46% of polling stations, the coalition around the SPP “Aleksandar Vučić — Belgrade does not dare stop” is in the lead with 44.55%. In second place is the pro-Western bloc «Serbia against violence» with 38.18%.
According to the latest data from the REC, based on the results of processing materials from 8,245 out of 8,273 polling stations, the coalition “Aleksandar Vucic — Serbia does not dare stop” is in the lead in the parliamentary elections with 46.7% support. In second place are their main competitors, the pro-Western opposition bloc “Serbia Against Violence” with 23.69%. In third place is the Socialist Party of Serbia, which is part of the government coalition of First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and its partners, receiving 6.55%. The right-wing patriotic coalition “Dr. Milos Jovanovic – Hope for Serbia” with 5.02% of the votes and the bloc of the Eurosceptic pulmonologist “We, the voice of the people – Professor, Dr. Branimir Nestorovic”, which according to these data receives 4.68%, can also enter the Assembly. support. The entrance qualification for movements of national minorities is calculated according to a different formula; the Union of Hungarians of Vojvodina is guaranteed to enter the Assembly with 1.69%.