The hubbub became untenable in the wake of outcry, warnings from abroad and protests from voters, and the Serbian authorities have now stated that the country will repeat elections in some parts of Serbia over concerns of irregularities during the Dec. 17 vote.
Thirty polling stations will be opened on Dec. 30, according to Serbian state news site RTS.
Serbian voters and the opposition Serbia Against Violence immediately began protests, following parliamentary and local elections on Dec. 17, which saw the SNS party, which has long ruled Serbia, announce a comfortable win.
Yet local voting in Belgrade drew criticism from from the OSCE and then the US and also European representatives over alleged “irregularities.” Some criticism was extremely sharp, going beyond “concerns” and essentially suggesting vote rigging.
The election was seen as a chance for the opposition, which has long been fractured, and which was seen as having an uphill climb in the face of the SNS, which has the support of nationalists, the Serbian Orthodox Church and anti-Kosovo recognition voters. Likewise, political strongman, ex-SNS leader and current president, Aleksandar Vucic, was highly visible during the runup to the elections, and his influence and that of state media cannot be underestimated.
Photo by U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
