Thousands of Serbians hit streets demanding annulment of recent election

Thousands of people flocked to the heart of Serbian Capital Sunday for an anti-government demonstration demanding the annulment of last week’s unfair municipal and parliamentary elections, which were deemed by international observers. Preliminary results from the state election commission show that the ruling populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) received 46.72% of the vote in last weekend’s snap parliamentary elections. According to an international monitoring mission, President Aleksandar Vucic’s undue influence, media bias, and voting irregularities like vote buying gave the SNS an unfair advantage on Monday. Vucic declared that there was fair voting. On Sunday, police fired pepper spray, a Reuters witness said, after a crowd tried to break into the Belgrade town hall where the local election commission is based. Some of the protesters climbed the building and broke windows. Some threw stones at windows, breaking glass. “Vucic thief,” protesters chanted. In a statement, the interior ministry called on protesters to “refrain from breaking into the town hall.” “By reacting calmly we are trying not to hurt protesters,” Vucic said in his address in early evening. The centre-left opposition alliance Serbia Against Violence came second in the election with 23.56% of the vote, and the Socialist Party of Serbia third with 6.56%. Srdjan Milivojevic and Vladimir Obradovic of the Serbia Against Violence coalition tried to open the door of the town hall but were unable to enter, while the crowd shouted “get in, get in,” and “no surrender.” Around 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) the anti-riot police pushed protestors away from the town hall. Another member of Serbia Against Violence Marinika Tepic has been on hunger strike since the elections to demand they should be annulled. (with inputs from Reuters)