Serbia Election - 24 April 2016
Hard-line nationalist turned pro-European reformer Aleksandar Vucic announced that he wanted to hold early elections in 2016 in an apparent bid to cement his power. "It is my decision ... to go for elections, for the future of Serbia," Vucic said on January 17. "Serbia should say whether it wants to join the European Union." Vucic told his Serbian Progressive Party's meeting that the vote is necessary so a new, stable government with a full four-year term can step up economic reforms to put Serbia firmly on the path to EU membership.
The party still enjoyed strong poll ratings despite cuts in public sector wages and pensions as part of a drive to stabilize Serbia's finances and prepare it for European Union membership. Serbia's ruling coalition also includes the Socialists and several smaller groups. Vucic didn't say when the snap elections would be held, but media reported that 24 April 2016 was the most likely date.
Serbia's President Tomislav Nikolic dissolved the country's parliament March 04, 2016 and called for early elections on April 24 -- a move requested by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. Nikolic announced the decision a day after Vucic's government called for the move so that a new cabinet with a "clear mandate" can pursue reforms and put Serbia on the path to European Union membership. Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had been allied with several small parties in a coalition government. It is well ahead in opinion polls, putting Vucic on track to lead the next government as well.
Serbia's parliamentary elections were expected to hand victory to Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who urged voters to endorse his drive toward the EU while maintaining close ties with Russia. Following a sluggish start, the pace of voting picked up in the April 24 elections, with some 47.7 percent of the country's 6.7 million voters having cast their ballots two hours prior to the closing of the polls. Total turnout was expected to surpass the 53 percent threshold registered in Serbia's 2012 parliamentary elections.
Early unofficial projections based on exit polling indicated Vucic's center-right Serbian Progressive Party would capture more than 50 percent of the vote. The left-leaning Socialist Party of Serbia was set to remain the second-biggest party in parliament. Formed by the late Slobodan Milosevic and led by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, the Socialists were projected to receive 11.3 percent of the April 24 vote. The Socialists controlled 25 seats in the old parliament, making it the second-largest party. But the Socialists opposed the large-scale privatization of loss-generating state firms called for by Brussels as a condition of closer EU integration, and that the IMF made a condition of a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.35 billion) loan. Socialist opposition to privatization deals has caused tension with Vucic, who has said he needed a good review in May from the IMF on Belgrade's reforms or it would be "very difficult" for him "to be the prime minister."
Serbia's splintered centrist and left-leaning opposition groups could come close to surpassing the 5 percent mark needed to get into the legislature. Among current opposition politicians, polls showed two blocs hovering just above the threshold. One is a conservative anti-NATO group that links the Democratic Party of Serbia and Dveri. The other, called Fair For Serbia, is a centrist group of parties led by former Democratic Party leader Boris Tadic and Cedomir Jovanovic. Ultranationalists and pro-Russian parties had not had representation in parliament since 2012 hoped they will be able to gain seats. Opinion surveys suggested they could win a total of about 10 to 15 percent of the vote.
The ultra-nationalist Radical Party of Vojislav Seselj, acquitted in March 2016 of war crimes by a UN tribunal in The Hague, was set to be the third-largest party in parliament. Seselj, whose core ideology is based on the goal of creating a Greater Serbia, has himself publicly burned EU and NATO flags. He has also campaigned for closer ties with Russia rather than the EU, saying that would help Serbia overcome its "economic misery."
In the previous elections in 2014, Prime Minister Vucic led the "Future We Believe In - Aleksandar Vucic" coalition, which comprised the SNS, New Serbia (NS), the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) and the Socialist Movement (PS). The Serbia Wins coalition in 2016 additionally comprised the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia, the Strength of Serbia Movement, the Independent Democratic Party of Serbia and the Serbian People's Party.
The "Serbia Wins" coalition led by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) retained the majority, but saw its share of seats reduced from 158 to 131 in the 250-member National Assembly. A coalition led by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic's Social Party of Serbia (SPS) remained the second largest force but also fell from 44 to 29 seats. The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) of Vojislav Seselj came third with 22 seats. Twelve parties (including five representing minorities) won parliamentary representation, up from seven (including three minority parties ) in the previous elections in 2014.
International observers stated the parliamentary elections offered voters a variety of choices and were mostly free and fair. The final report of the limited election observation mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) concluded that the elections respected fundamental freedoms and candidates were able to campaign freely. The report noted that biased media coverage, undue advantage of incumbency, and a blurring of distinction between state and party activities “unlevelled” the playing field for contestants. For example, there were several reports that local government officials and directors of public companies compelled employees to attend political rallies under threat of losing their jobs.
The OSCE/ODIHR report also raised concerns about the election administration’s handling of postelection complaints and processing of results, including a perceived fear of retribution for filing complaints and a lack of trust in the effectiveness of the judiciary and investigative bodies to resolve these complaints.
The NGO Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability reported allegations that pressure had been exerted on voters and of vote buying in Novi Sad and Vojvodina, particularly targeting Roma and other vulnerable groups.
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