Protests are taking place in Belgrade against the results of the parliamentary elections

In Belgrade, on Monday evening, a rally began with the demand to cancel the results of the parliamentary elections, which were won by the ruling “Serbian Progressive Party” (SPP) of President Aleksandar Vučić.

According to Radio Liberty’s Balkan Service, representatives of the opposition bloc “Serbia Against Violence” appealed to the Republican Election Commission (RIC) with a demand to annul the election results. They claim that the victory of the SPP was the result of falsifications.

Thousands of supporters of the opposition bloc gathered in front of the RIC building in the center of Belgrade. Two representatives of “Serbia Against Violence” announced that they have started a hunger strike, which will continue until their demands are met.

Demonstrators in front of the entrance to the RYK building shouted “We will not give victory”, “Thieves” and pelted the building with eggs, tomatoes and toilet paper, the Balkan service of Radio Liberty writes.

Representatives of “Serbia Against Violence” claim that the elections in Belgrade were held with numerous violations and that their results do not reflect the electoral will of the citizens. The opposition demanded “cleaning of the voter lists”.

“Given that more than 40,000 people without legal residence were organized and brought to Belgrade to support the SPP list, which radically changed the electoral will of the citizens of Belgrade, we demand the cancellation of the elections in Belgrade,” the opposition coalition said.

The “Serbian Progressive Party” has denied accusations of violations during the elections.

According to the preliminary results of the voting, the list of the “Serbian Progressive Party” won 39.3 percent of the votes (49 seats), and the list “Serbia Against Violence” – 34.3 percent (42 seats).

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said that the “Serbian Progressive Party” won the elections and that the results are always questioned by “those who lose.”

Preliminarily, five party coalitions, which managed to overcome the passage barrier of 3 percent of voters’ votes, will enter the parliament. Among them are the Socialist Party of Serbia (6 seats), the far-right “National Democratic Alternative” (7 seats) and the pro-Russian bloc “We are the voice of the people” (6 seats), whose leader – Branimir Nestorovic – supports conspiracy theories and opposes vaccinations.

• Extraordinary parliamentary elections were called in Serbia after President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved the Assembly on November 1, 2023 amid mass protests against “propaganda of violence.”
• “Serbian Progressive Party” is the main force in the bloc “Aleksandr Vucic – Serbia must not stop”. Vuchich headed it from 2014 to May 2023. In addition to it, the ruling bloc includes the party of pensioners, two “peasant” parties, two social-democratic parties and several more conservative parties and the movement.