Arrr! The landlubbin' Serbs be trudgin' t' streets, claimin' that the scurvy dog Vučić be playin' tricks in the election!
2024-01-16
Arrr, me hearties! On a fine Tuesday, a mighty throng of opposition scallywags be gatherin' to protest the crooked election results o' Dec. 17. They be cryin' foul on that populist rogue, President Aleksandar Vučić, claimin' his government be a nest o' fraudsters!
Supporters of the opposition in Serbia took to the streets once again, accusing President Aleksandar Vučić's government of orchestrating fraud in the recent parliamentary and local elections. The protesters are demanding that the December 17 vote be annulled and held again under free and fair conditions. Similar demonstrations had already taken place in the aftermath of the elections. Opposition politician Marinika Tepic addressed the few thousand protesters, declaring that the thief had been caught stealing and emphasizing that there were no free and fair elections in Serbia. Tepic warned that giving up the fight would mean the end of future elections. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party was declared the winner of the elections, but the main opposition alliance, Serbia Against Violence, claimed that the election was stolen, particularly in the vote for Belgrade city authorities. The opposition group filed complaints with Serbian election authorities and the courts, however, both entities rejected the allegations. International observers noted serious irregularities that occurred during the election, including ballot box stuffing and vote-buying. Some local election monitors even alleged that individuals from Serbia and neighboring countries were bused in to cast ballots in Belgrade, with populist supporters registered at fraudulent addresses. President Vučić and his party dismissed these reports as fabricated. Tensions escalated in December when police used pepper spray on protesters attempting to enter Belgrade City Hall, resulting in numerous arrests. In addition to protesting the alleged electoral fraud, the crowd also lit candles at a Belgrade church to commemorate the assassination of a moderate ethnic Serb politician from Kosovo in January 2018. The dispute between Serbia and Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008, remains a significant source of tension in the volatile Balkans. Serbia, while seeking membership in the European Union, has refused to impose sanctions on Russia due to Moscow's support for Belgrade's claims on Kosovo.