Serbia’s early elections have triggered a chain of protests in the capital. The opposition refused to recognise the results of the Belgrade Assembly (parliament) vote, bringing thousands of people onto the streets. The demonstration turned into an attempt to storm the capital’s election commission and seize the 70-year-old director of the statistics bureau. The opposition promises to continue the actions, refusing to recognise the victory of the ruling coalition.
Supporters of the opposition pro-European bloc “Serbia Against Violence” are calling for a new larger protest action near the building of the Republican Election Commission (REC) in the centre of Belgrade. According to local media, at least three people are asked to bring at least three people to the demonstration, thus multiplying its size.
The protests in front of the REC broke out in the evening of 18 December against the background of the announcement of the preliminary results of the elections to the Parliament (Assembly) of the Serbian capital. According to the results, the ruling coalition led by President Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party won 48 seats in the city assembly (38.9% of votes). The Serbia Against Violence bloc came second with 43 mandates (34.6 per cent of the vote), while the National Democratic Alternative rounded out the top three with seven seats (6 per cent of the vote). In fourth place, “We Are the Voice of the People” and the Socialists, both parties won six mandates each, with around 5 per cent of the vote.
