“Repeated election fraud cannot be invalidated… “Election fraud has already been proven”
“Members of the National Assembly go on hunger strike, political opponents are arrested, and police beat students.”
In Serbia, where re-elections are being held due to suspicions of election fraud, opposition forces announced that they would boycott the elections.
According to AFP on the 26th (local time), the opposition coalition ‘Serbia Against Violence (SPN)’ posted on social networking services (SNS) on the same day, “Repeated elections at some polling places cannot invalidate fraud, and the last 17 “We cannot correct the irregularities that have occurred,” he declared, declaring that he would boycott re-election at some polling places in the general election held on the 30th.
SPN emphasized, “It is meaningless to (re)vote while election fraud is proven, while lawmakers are on hunger strike, political opponents are arrested, and students are beaten and arrested by the police.” Seven opposition lawmakers are holding a hunger strike to condemn election fraud, and protests are taking place every day in front of the National Election Commission.
Protesters condemning election fraud have been staging sit-ins every day since the 18th. In particular, on the 24th, protesters broke the windows of the capital Belgrade City Council and attempted to enter the Belgrade City Council, but were blocked by the police. Police arrested at least 38 protesters.
Since the election, criticism has been raised, especially from the opposition party, that the election was conducted fraudulently during the general election. Allegations were raised that illegal mobilization and ticketing of unregistered voters occurred. The international election observation group, comprised of personnel from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), announced that the election was held under unfair conditions, including vote buying, voter intimidation, and ballot box stuffing.
In the end, the Serbian Election Commission announced that re-elections would be held on the 30th at 30 polling stations.
The positions of the government and the ruling party are in contrast to those of the opposition party.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic commented on social media that the protesters were in collusion with foreign forces. Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Bosan-Karchenko, who met with President Vucic, claimed that “we have ‘irrefutable evidence’ that the West is encouraging opposition protests.”
The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) denied all allegations, saying a fair election was held.
In that election, the Serbian Progressive Party won 128 seats, more than half of the 250 seats, with a vote rate of 46.71%. This is an increase of 8 seats compared to the previous election. The opposition coalition received only 23.68% of the vote.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.