Serbian opposition requests election results overturn

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Jan 2024 10:23

The Serbian opposition has filed a request with the Constitutional Court to overturn the election results, which came in support of incumbent President Aleksandar Vucic.

A protester waves a flag that reads: 'EUROMAIDAN Serbia' during a rally in downtown Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (AP)

After Serbia's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) party officially secured the general elections, the Serbian opposition announced, on Thursday, that it has filed a request to overturn results in the municipal elections in Belgrade.

According to Biljana Djordjevic, the co-president of the Green-Left party, which is considered a primary member of the Serbian opposition, the party has petitioned the Constitutional Court saying, "This is the last legal path we have in Serbia, and the most adequate."

The opposition alleges that, during parliamentary and local elections, the ruling party led by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic engaged in fraudulent activities, and have accused the government of permitting unregistered voters from neighboring Bosnia to unlawfully participate in the capital's voting process.

Following the publication of the results, it was reported that allegedly thousands, out of Serbia's over 6 million people population, joined protests that even involved an attempt to storm Belgrade's city hall.

Opposition appeals unlikely to gain traction

The appeal to the Constitutional Court comes almost a week after a Serbian opposition party formally complained about alleged fraud by Vucic's party.

Despite a court dismissing the complaint on Tuesday, legal experts suggest that the opposition's appeals are unlikely to gain much traction.

The president, Vuvic, has largely downplayed the protests and legal maneuvers aimed at overturning the election results, stating last week, "the elections are over."

Earlier, Serbia's State Election Commission officially released the results of the December 17 general elections in Serbia. According to the Commission's statement, the Serbia Should Not Stop alliance, led by the SNS and backed by Vucic, emerged victorious with 46% of the vote in the early elections.

The announcement specified that the alliance claimed 129 seats out of the 250-seat National Assembly. On the other hand, the opposition coalition, Serbia Against Violence, comprising various opposition parties, garnered 23% of the vote and secured 65 seats in the Assembly.

'Techniques of Maidan coup' witnessed in Serbia: Zakharova

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, earlier on December 26, that the "attempts of the collective West to shake up the situation in [Serbia] using the techniques of Maidan coups are obvious."

Zakharova further added that "the only possible reaction is to adhere to the letter and spirit of the country’s constitution and to respect the choice of the Serbian people, who voted for their country’s national interests."

On a similar note, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained that "third parties", including foreign agents, provoked this weekend's riots in the Serbian capital of Belgrade.

According to Peskov, observers "did not record any violations that could cast doubt" on the legitimacy of the elections.

"Evidently, there are processes and attempts by third forces, including from abroad, to provoke such unrest in Belgrade. This is what we are seeing," adding "We have no doubt that the leadership of the republic will maintain the rule of law in the country."

However, the spokesperson underscored that Moscow maintained a policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries, particularly applies to Russia’s "ally and partner", Serbia, stressing that "Everything that happens in the country is Serbia’s own business. We have never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries and do not intend to."