Elections in Serbia, Vučić admits defeat

Over 27% turnout in Serbian elections by 11:00

Photo: Associated Press

More than a quarter of voters in Serbia have cast their ballots by 11:00 am in snap parliamentary elections this Sunday, October 25, amid long lines in front of polling stations and reports of irregularities.

According to the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID), turnout reached 27.3 percent, compared to 15.1 percent at the same time in the 2023 elections.

In these elections, the third parliamentary elections in the last five years, a student movement born from a civic initiative is aiming to end the 14-year rule of Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

According to the CRTA observation mission, polling stations across Serbia opened mostly on time. Meanwhile, the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) reported that more than 70 irregularities had been reported during the voting by 09:00 a.m.

According to this organization, cases of photographing ballots, using phones, voting outside booths, and family voting have been identified, including one report that a voter voted on behalf of another person.

Clashes between members of polling station councils, temporary interruptions of voting, incidents and threats against voters, as well as problems with election material and voter verification, have also been reported.

Polling stations are open until 20:00, while 6.450.523 citizens are eligible to vote. Voting is taking place in 8.392 polling stations, of which 93 are located abroad./rel

OSCE observers for elections in Serbia: High turnout is a good sign

ODIHR observers are also monitoring the elections in Serbia. The OSCE Special Coordinator for the short-term observation mission, Gilles Baum, says the high turnout is a good sign for the country. The head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly mission, Federica Honori, stressed that not all ODIHR recommendations were followed, writes N1.

At a press conference, Gilles Baum said that these early parliamentary elections are important for Serbia.

"We have noticed that there is a lot of interest in these elections and I would say that the high turnout shows that people in Serbia are very interested in shaping their future and democracy. When many people go to vote, this is a good sign for the country," he said.

Federica Honori, who is also an Italian MP, says that around 70 members of this mission are monitoring the elections throughout Serbia, that this mission will have all the details today and that it will announce its findings at a conference tomorrow at the Metropol at 15:00 PM.

She emphasized that the ODIHR recommendations have been fulfilled, but not fully, mainly those related to the safety of journalists and the use of public funds for campaign expenses and political purposes.

Bom also added that the ODIHR mission met with two main political parties, the Student List and the United Serbia List, and that both groups, he said, told him that they would recognize the election results when they were announced.

Early parliamentary elections are being held in Serbia today, and polling stations are open from 7:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m., according to the schedule.

6,451,292 voters are eligible to vote, and the elections are being held in 8,392 polling stations, of which 29 are in prisons and 93 abroad in 37 countries, where there are 102,147 voters.

A total of 2,418 candidates from 18 electoral lists, half of which have the status of minority lists, will compete for 250 parliamentary seats in the Parliament of Serbia. The threshold for entry into parliament is three percent, while the natural threshold applies to national minority lists.

Albanians vote in Presheva

Albanian citizens are voting at polling stations in Presheva.

Some of them have headed to the 'Ibrahim Kelmendi' school.

Early parliamentary elections are being held in Serbia today, where citizens will vote for the new composition of the Serbian Parliament.

Voting centers will be open from 07:00 to 20:00 and there will be a total of 18 electoral lists on the ballot.

Meanwhile, it is the first time that Albanians are running on a joint electoral list in the Serbian elections.

Voters in Serbia expect elections to be held peacefully

Photo: Associated Press

Serbian voters have expressed their expectations as they cast their ballots on Sunday in parliamentary elections, which are seen as a showdown between the Balkan country's populist leader, Aleksandar Vucic, and a student movement that has led protests against him for nearly two years.

Many voters lined up in front of polling stations and expressed hope that the elections would be held peacefully, AP reports.

"I hope that everything goes peacefully and ends well, so that others, no matter how things go, do not cause problems and that a new day finally dawns in this country, after many years," said Jovan Mitrovic, a voter in Belgrade.

Aida Rodić expressed her enthusiasm after casting her vote.

"This reminds me of when I was young, when voting day was a special day. This day is special for me too. I'm very excited, after 30 years, I feel really excited," Rodic said.

Although Serbia's 6.4 million voters can choose between 18 parties seeking seats in the 250-seat parliament, the elections have taken the form of a referendum between Vucic's right-wing Serbian Progressive Party and the youth-backed Student List.

The two main forces are believed to be competing head-to-head, making Sunday's elections the most unpredictable in recent years.

Voter turnout is expected to be high, which could prevent most smaller parties from passing the 3 percent threshold needed to enter parliament.

While Vučić has consistently managed to defeat Serbia's divided opposition in the past, the leaderless student movement has proven to be a formidable opponent, shaking up his iron grip on power in a way that no one else has managed to do in the 14 years since his party came to power.

A student victory is likely to resonate beyond Serbia, at a time when countries across Europe are grappling with youth and student protests.

Local elections held earlier this year in 10 municipalities in Serbia were accompanied by violent attacks on journalists and activists.

The previous parliamentary elections, held in 2023, were followed by protests from the opposition, which claimed that there had been electoral manipulation.

Long lines at polling stations in Serbia, turnout reaches 12% by 09:00 AM

Photo: AP

Serbians are heading to the polls this Sunday, October 25, for another snap parliamentary election – the third in five years. In it, a student movement born from a citizens' initiative will aim to end the 14-year rule of Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

According to preliminary data from the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID), 12 percent of voters had voted by 09:00 a.m., compared to 5,2 percent at the same time in the 2023 elections. This estimate is based on data from 750 polling stations.

CeSID announced that by 09:00, more than 70 irregularities had been reported during the voting.

According to this organization, cases of photographing ballots, using phones, voting outside booths, and family voting have been identified, including one report that a voter voted on behalf of another person.

Clashes between members of polling station councils, temporary interruptions of voting, incidents and threats against voters, as well as problems with election material and voter verification, have also been reported.

"Particularly concerning is the obstruction of observers' access. In some polling stations, observers were not allowed access, so we must contact the responsible authorities and intervene so that they can carry out their work," CeSID said.

Polling stations are open from 07:00 to 20:00, and 6.450.523 citizens are eligible to vote. Voting is taking place in 8.392 polling stations, of which 93 are located abroad.

Vučić resigned as president at the end of September. Since he cannot run for a third term, he now aims to become prime minister, a post he held from 2014 until he was elected president in 2017.

However, the election campaign has been accompanied by growing concerns that there may be electoral manipulation.

The elections are being closely watched by the European Union, which has criticized Serbia for a backsliding in democracy under Vučić's leadership./REL

Albanian Foreign Minister calls on Albanians in the Valley: Come out en masse to vote

Albania's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, has called on Albanians in the Presevo Valley to massively participate in the elections being held today in Serbia.

Through a post on the social network X, he declared that each vote matters for the future of Albanians in the Presheva Valley.

He stated that high participation in elections influences the strengthening of citizens' voices for their rights and political representation.

Up to 180 minutes waiting in Jarinje to exit Kosovo

Photo from the archive

(Article updated 9:40) - Columns of vehicles leaving Kosovo at the border points in Jarinje, Bernjak, Merdar and Dheu i Bardhë have been reported by the National Center for Border Management. 

According to data updated at 9:24, waits in Jarinje for departure from Kosovo are up to 180 minutes, in Bernjak up to 50 minutes, in Merdar up to 120 minutes and in Dheu i Bardhë 80 minutes.

Other border points, according to the data presented, are not busy.