Two Serbian lawmakers have announced that they will end their hunger strike, through which they were demanding the annulment of the general elections held on December 17. However, three other members of the opposition list “Serbia against violence” continue their protest.
Serbian parliament deputies Janko Veselinović and Danijela Grujić stated on December 28 that they would end the hunger strike following medical advice.
Veselinović announced on the X platform that both he and Grujić had been sent to the hospital.
“We are well. Don’t worry. We have not yet finished the hunger strike. But based on the advice of doctors, we will do it today,” said Veselinović.
Danijela i ja smo smešteni u bolnicu, Klinički centrar Vojvodine. Dobro smo. Ne brinite. Još nismo prekinuli štrajk glađu. Ali na savet lekara ćemo to danas učiniti. Imamo jednu molbu za sve vas. U subotu budite u Beogradu u 12.00. I još nešto – krađa ne sme da prođe.
— Janko Veselinovic (@j_veselinovic) December 28, 2023
Grujić started the hunger strike on December 21, while Veselinović joined two days later.
In addition to the hunger strike, there have been daily protests in Belgrade since the conclusion of the elections on December 17.
Veselinović also called on supporters “to be in Belgrade” on December 30 at 12:00 for another gathering.
Three members of the “Serbia against violence” list continuing the hunger strike are Marinika Tepić, Jelena Milošević, and Branko Miljus. They are currently in the Serbian Parliament building, where the headquarters of the Republican Electoral Commission is located.
They are demanding the annulment of the parliamentary and local elections of December 17, alleging electoral fraud.
Tepić, a leading figure in the “Serbia against violence” list, which is the main opposition party there, started the hunger strike on December 18 after the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) led by President Aleksandar Vučić was declared the winner of the elections. Despite medical advice, she told Reuters that she plans to reject it and continue the hunger strike.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international observers denounced what they called a series of “irregularities” in the voting. Domestic election monitors also reported irregularities in the voting process.
Viola von Cramon, a member of the European Parliament’s election observation mission, condemned the alleged irregularities and stated that the European Parliament expects “higher democratic standards from a candidate country for the EU”.
The SNS and the state leadership deny allegations of election fraud.
