Observers Claim Serbia's Elections Favored Ruling Party

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Facts

• International observers of Serbia's early parliamentary elections claimed on Monday that the vote was held under unfair conditions, citing the decisive involvement of Pres. Aleksandar Vučić and alleged systemic advantages to his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).¹
• Representatives from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Parliament, and the Council of Europe who monitored the campaigns and some polling stations further alleged there were cases of intimidation, pressure on voters, and vote buying.²
• Meanwhile, thousands of protesters rallied outside the state election commission headquarters as leaders of the opposition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) alliance moved to lodge formal complaints claiming the concurrent Belgrade local election was rigged and demanding a rerun of the ballot.³
• On Tuesday, however, the leader of the SNS, Miloš Vučević, praised the snap elections as 'an example for many other countries,' insisting they were free and fair.⁴
• According to a near-final count, the SNS, which has been in power since 2012, is set to secure an absolute majority in the 250-seat National Assembly as well as control of the capital, where the SPN had hoped to defeat former water polo star Aleksandar Šapić.⁵
• Called in the aftermath of mass protests over two consecutive deadly shootings in May, Sunday's snap vote was the third time in less than four years that Serbians went to the polls. No government has completed a full mandate in little more than a decade in the country.⁶

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Bloomberg, ³FOX News, ⁴Washington Post, ⁵BBC News and ⁶Forbes.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by B92.net. While some irregularities have indeed been noted in the Serbian snap election, the electoral process was well-managed and smoothly conducted despite previous worries. Observers reported only small-scale problems in the national vote, with no systemic irregularity being found on the election day.
• Narrative B, as provided by Www.euractiv.com. It's disturbing that serious irregularities, such as misuse of public funds and vote buying, were reported in a country to which the European Union has granted a candidate status. Additionally, claims that tens of thousands of unregistered voters were allowed to illegally cast ballots in Belgrade's municipal election raise further concern about the current state of democracy in Serbia.

Predictions