Thousands of protesters gathered in central Belgrade on Saturday to demand the annulment of the parliamentary and municipal elections held on December 17. It was the largest protest yet, with demonstrators waving Serbian flags and a banner that read "We do not accept." The crowd cheered for Marinika Tepic, a leader of the opposition Serbia Against Violence alliance, who has been on a hunger strike since December 18.
Preliminary results from the state election commission showed that the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had secured 46.72% of the votes in the snap parliamentary election. However, Serbia Against Violence, which came in second place, has accused the SNS of widespread vote fraud. The party alleges media bias, improper influence from President Aleksandar Vucic, and voting irregularities including vote buying.
Marinika Tepic, despite her weakened state due to the hunger strike, addressed the protesters by stating, "These elections must be annulled." She was helped to the stage by two of her colleagues. Serbia Against Violence has been leading daily protests since December 17 in front of the election commission, but this Saturday's protest was the most well-attended.
International monitoring missions that observed the elections also raised concerns about the fairness of the process. They highlighted the SNS's unfair advantages, such as media bias and President Aleksandar Vucic's involvement. Furthermore, irregularities like vote buying were also reported. This accusation has been continuously denied by Serbian authorities.
Jovana Djokovic, a 29-year-old software developer, attended the protest with her parents, who drove 177 kilometers from the central town of Kraljevo to join the demonstration. Djokovic stated, "I came here to express my disagreement with the election result. I feel the responsibility to be here. Elections were not fair." Her sentiments were echoed by other protesters who believe that their voices have not been accurately heard in the electoral process.
The Saturday protest received support from student organizations and a public initiative called ProGlas, which includes prominent intellectuals and actors. It demonstrates the growing frustration and determination of the opposition to challenge the election results and demand a fair and transparent electoral process.
Although full results of the election are not expected to be published until next month, the opposition's demand for the annulment of the election results is gaining momentum. With increasing public support and international concerns about the fairness of the process, the Serbian government may face increasing pressure to address these allegations and ensure a transparent and fair electoral system for future elections.