The United States has called on Serbia to investigate reported irregularities during the elections on December 17.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe claims of reported irregularities by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE] and the observer team must be investigated, and the violence against election officials, journalists, and accredited observers, for which we have seen reports, is unacceptable, and we will continue to make this clear to Serbia,\u201d said the spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, Matthew Miller, during a press conference on December 19.<\/p>\n
Miller stated that Washington is reviewing the preliminary findings of the OSCE observer mission regarding parliamentary, local, and regional elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are aware that [from the OSCE] they declared that the December 17 elections offered voters opportunities and political alternatives. However, they also concluded that the elections were marred by numerous procedural deficiencies, pressure on public officials, and the misuse of public resources, and that these factors, along with the advantages enjoyed by the ruling party, create unfair conditions,\u201d said Miller.<\/p>\n
Local and international observers have stated that there were irregularities in the December 17 elections. Meanwhile, the largest opposition coalition, \u201cSerbia Against Violence\u201d, has accused the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 of changing the voters\u2019 will in Belgrade, calling for the annulment of the elections in the Serbian capital.<\/p>\n
Earlier on December 19, high-ranking officials of the European Union also expressed their concerns about reported electoral irregularities from local and international observer missions.<\/p>\n
In a joint media statement, the EU\u2019s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver V\u00e1rhelyi, urged Serbia to transparently examine all reports of electoral irregularities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith concern, we conclude that the electoral process needs further improvement and reforms, as the proper functioning of Serbia\u2019s democratic institutions is the essence of Serbia\u2019s EU accession process,\u201d said the joint statement by Borrell and V\u00e1rhelyi.<\/p>\n
According to the preliminary results of the Republican Electoral Commission, the electoral list \u201cAleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 \u2013 Serbia Does Not Stop\u201d won 46.71%, followed by the list \u201cSerbia Against Violence\u201d with 23.58%.<\/p>\n
The third is the list \u201cIvica Da\u010di\u0107 \u2013 Prime Minister of Serbia\u201d with 6.57% of the votes. Then comes \u201cHope for Serbia\u201d with 5.03% and \u201cWe \u2013 The Voice of the People\u201d with 4.69%.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s party, the SNS, declared victory at all levels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The United States has called on Serbia to investigate reported irregularities during the elections on December 17. \u201cThe claims of reported irregularities by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE] and the observer team must be investigated, and the violence against election officials, journalists, and accredited observers, for which we have seen reports, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":55996,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250],"tags":[995,348,308,243,151,570,301,2441,490,787],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n