Vučić Concedes Defeat in Serbian Parliamentary Election
Record turnout and student-led protests precede a political shift, with concerns raised over electoral integrity.
Carla Rooney
Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat in Serbia's parliamentary election.
President Vučić, now in his second term, initiated these snap elections. His Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has maintained governmental control since 2012.
The significant turnout appears to favor the student movement. Long queues formed at polling stations across Serbia and internationally, including in Ljubljana, Munich, Los Angeles, and Chicago, drawing from an electorate of 6.45 million.
International and local election monitors indicated that International and local election monitors voiced serious concerns regarding detentions, surveillance, and cyber-attacks targeting activists before the vote. Allegations also surfaced of ballot papers being pre-filled in a Nis cafe, a tactic known as 'chain voting'.
Eighteen parties vied for 250 parliamentary seats, with the primary contenders polling neck-and-neck. The state election commission anticipates releasing official results on Monday.
Vučić previously affirmed his side would concede defeat if the vote went against them. However, he also issued a stark warning: any protests alleging fraud, should his party triumph, would be immediately suppressed.