BELGRADE – The local elections in Serbian municipalities Mionica, Sečanj and Negotin, held on 30 November, were marked by the high turnout, as well as by verbal and physical incidents. Due to the disruption of public order and peace, the police also reacted.
In all three municipalities the lists led by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) came first, but won fewer votes than in the 2023 parliamentary elections, while the opposition made gains, particularly in Mionica.
For instance, in the 2023 parliamentary elections, the list composed of SNS, the Socialist Party of Serbia, and the Serbian Radical Party won 4,748 votes, while in yesterday’s elections the list composed of the three parties won 4,157, i.e. about 13% less. On the other hand, all opposition lists in the 2023 parliamentary election won 2,224 votes in Mionica. Now, the popular support for the opposition increased by almost 50%, as the “United for Mionica” List, together with “Freedom and Justice Party” List won 3,218 votes.
In Negotin, one of biggest strongholds of the SNS rule, the list led by this party won 11,534 votes, while in the 2023 parliamentary elections it was supported by 12,011 voters. The opposition list “United for Negotin”, according to unofficial results, won 4,455 votes, which is a better result in comparison with the 2023 parliamentary elections, when the opposition parties were supported by 3,899 voters.
The results from Sečanj are not complete, as the voting will be repeated at one polling station in this municipality. However, the incomplete results show that SNS and SPS lists won 4,057 votes in Sunday’s elections, while in the parliamentary elections two years ago they were supported by 4,437 voters. On the other hand, “The Youth of Voice That Changes Sečanj” List, which was recently established, won 2,092, while in 2023 the opposition lists in this municipality won 1,544 votes.
On the other hand, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić said that the lists bearing his name achieved a clear victory in the local elections in the three municipalities.
“The people understood who was fighting for Serbia’s interests and what happened in Serbia… The victory in Negotin is particularly convincing”, he told TV Pink.
CRTA: “Our observers were attacked in Mionica”
The monitoring mission of the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) withdrew observers from all polling stations in Mionica due to, as they stated, attacks on their teams. CRTA remarked that the police, whom they first approached, did not want to react or make an official note. It noted that the Basic Public Prosecutor’s office in Mionica initiated proceedings in connection with the attack on CRTA’s observers.
The tensions in Mionica between opposing groups of citizens lasted until well into the night. During the election day, there was a physical confrontation in a tavern in the village of Rajković, in the municipality of Mionica, where the police intervened. Representatives of the Municipal Electoral Commission told RTS that the incident did not affect the electoral process, since the polling station in the village is located in an elementary school, not in a tavern.
In Sečanj, the supporters of both lists were waiting for the results in front of the Municipal Electoral Commission, and were separated by police. It was reported that the members of the polling boards passed through the cordon of the police, in order to bring election materials to the Municipal Election commission.
Go-Change Movement (Kreni-Promeni) said its observers in Mionica, Negotin and Sečanj reported a “series of serious irregularities” at polling stations, indicating “pressure on voters, violation of procedures and violation of voting secrecy”. Among the most serious incidents was a death threat directed at a female student who worked at a polling station, with insults and curses, the movement said in a statement.
The statement notes that that the frequent irregularities included the photographing of ballots, joint voting by multiple people, as well public voting without entering the booth.
In addition, Go-Change claimed that at several polling stations unregistered observers, associated with organizations that are close to the SNS, entered polling stations, instructed committees or falsely posed as observers, were noticed.
