International observers brand Serbian elections ‘unjust’

International observers on Wednesday (28 February) denounced “unjust” conditions that allowed Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s party to romp to a controversial landslide victory in December elections.

Yet the government welcomed the report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), saying it has put an end to speculations about alleged electoral fraud.

Monitors of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) described the snap parliamentary and local elections as “technically well-administered and offering voters a choice of political alternatives”.

But it underlined that the vote was nonetheless “dominated” by right-wing populist Vučić “which, together with the ruling party’s systemic advantages, created unjust conditions for contestants”.

Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) took 129 parliamentary seats to just 65 for the opposition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) coalition.

International observers, including the OSCE and the ODIHR, previously reported “irregularities”, including “vote buying” and “ballot box stuffing”.

“Fundamental freedoms were generally respected in the campaign, but it was marred by harsh rhetoric, bias in the media, pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public resources,” the ODIHR report said.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić welcomed the report, and committed to work closely with the observers and adhere to the ODIHR’s recommendations.

But Brnabić insisted that the report had ended negative perceptions about the electoral process.

“This report puts an end to all the lies and nonsense about stealing the election,” Brnabić told reporters.

The SPN interpreted the report very differently.

“When someone tells you that the elections took place in unequal conditions, where one man is favoured, one structure (is favoured), with an aggressive campaign, polarisation of society, hate speech, insulting political opponents but also journalists that are not pro-regime: that is called unequal, undemocratic and not free elections,” said Marinika Tepić, an SPN leader.

Serbia’s top court has rejected an opposition appeal to annul the election results.

In February, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Serbia — an EU candidate country — calling for an investigation into the December vote, a motion that was ignored by Belgrade.

“Everyone knows what happened… Just, nobody wants to tell the king that he is naked,” said Tepić.ucic

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