Serbia's ruling party claims major parliamentary elections win
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The SNS party led by President Aleksandar Vucic claims a majority of 127 seats in the 250-chair assembly so far.
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Serbian President and presidential candidate Aleksandar Vucic gestures during a news conference after claiming victory in the presidential election in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, April 3, 2022 (AP)
Serbia's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has claimed a clear triumph in the snap parliamentary and local elections held on Sunday, with the party's leader, President Aleksandar Vucic, announcing that SNS landed 127 seats in the 250-member assembly following a count of 76 percent of the votes.
''Serbia must not stop! won 127 seats based on a sample of 76% of the counted votes,'' he said.
Acting Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated that the winning party obtained 47 percent of the vote count, Brnabic said, while the Serbia Against Violence (SPN) opposition coalition garnered 23 percent of the votes. The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the SNS's partner, received 6.7 percent, she added.
The key competition in the parliamentary and local elections revolved around President Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressives and the centrist coalition, which aimed to challenge the SNS that has held power in the Balkan state since 2012.
Read more: Vucic says Serbia has no interest in Kosovo escalation
In the capital Belgrade, the SNS also sought a victory in the city council. Meanwhile, the party scored between 67-69 seats in the 120-member Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Vucic said.
Opposition figures contested the election outcomes, accusing the ruling coalition of vote manipulation and expressed plans to object to the vote tally through lawful methods.
"We will use all available democratic means against the vote rigging in Belgrade and Serbia," Aleksic said. "What happened today cannot be accepted as the result of a democratic and fair election."
Authorities rejected these allegations, with Premier Brnabic dismissing them as "lies intended to spread panic."
Throughout his campaign, the President pledged to develop infrastructure, enhance healthcare, provide financial incentives, and increase salaries and pensions.
The early vote on December 17 occurred just eighteen months after the previous parliamentary and presidential election, despite the SNS maintaining a significant parliamentary majority.
