Elections - Serbian citizens decide on new parliament
Early parliamentary elections began in Serbia on Sunday. According to official figures, around 6.5 million eligible voters have been called to elect the 250 members of the People's Assembly (Skupstina). The right-wing nationalist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of President Aleksandar Vucic is considered the clear favorite.
According to the latest opinion polls, it is likely to receive just over 40 percent of the vote. Together with its long-standing coalition partner, the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) led by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, it is likely to remain the dominant force in the country.
Vucic dissolved parliament less than two years after the last election. The president, who has been shaping the country's politics in various capacities since 2012, repeatedly uses early elections to ensure the loyalty of his officials and supporters. This early election was primarily triggered by two mass shootings in May, which left 18 people dead, as well as conflicts in Kosovo, which has been independent since 2008. Serbia continues to lay claim to its former province, which is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians.
The killings in May triggered a massive protest movement against the Vucic government. It accused the government and its media of fomenting a climate of hatred and glorification of violence. As a result, the liberal opposition joined forces to form the electoral alliance "Serbia against Violence". It hopes to win the capital Belgrade in the local elections taking place at the same time.
The polling stations close at 20:00. The first results are expected late on Sunday evening.
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The elections in Serbia on Sunday are for the 250 members of the Parliamentarybody named the People's Assembly (Skupstina). Despite dissolving parliament less than two years ago by President Aleksandar Vucic, his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and its coalition partner, the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), are expected to remain dominant in these elections. The liberal opposition, formed in response to mass shootings and accusations of hate-promotion, aims to win the capital city of Belgrade in the simultaneous local elections.
Source: www.stern.de
