Serbia opposition leader Djilas says electoral process 'compromised', urges EU to investigate

Описание: (21 Dec 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Belgrade - 18 December 2023
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Various of protesters in front of the Serbian Electoral Committee headquarters
2. Various of main Serbian opposition coalition leader Dragan Djilas, wearing grey jacket, in front of Electoral Committee HQ during protest

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Belgrade - 21 December 2023
++DAY SHOTS++
3. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Dragan Djilas, main Serbian opposition coalition leader:
“It’s now totally clear that, from beginning to end, the electoral process has been compromised. Starting from our lack of media presence and the media presence of the ruling party, forged electoral lists signatures, unlawful actions of the electoral committees, immense pressure on people to vote, the vote purchasing which we documented with various videos, the transfer of voters from one Serbian municipality to another, mostly in Belgrade, but also in Northern Serbia, and ending with the import of voters who don’t have the right to vote in electoral posts within Serbia properly.”
4. Close of Djilas talking
5. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Dragan Djilas, main Serbian opposition coalition leader:
“The European Union now has a great chance to regain the trust of the citizens of Serbia, who have largely opted even, twelve years ago and twenty years ago that Serbia should be apart of the EU. The last eleven years have been a big disappointment (in the EU), because of the support of the (Serbian President) Aleksandar Vucic regime, in the part of the population who have sincerely opted for the EU.”
6. Djilas talking on street
STORYLINE:
Serbia's main opposition group on Thursday urged the European Union to help open an international investigation into reported irregularities during last weekend's election that have caused political tensions in the troubled Balkan nation seeking EU membership.

The Serbia Against Violence group said in a letter to EU institutions, officials and member states that they won't recognise the outcome of last Sunday's parliamentary and local election.

They called on the EU to do the same and initiate the inquiry.

Early results showed victory for the Serbian Progressive Party of President Aleksandar Vucic in both ballots.

But its main opponents, the Serbia Against Violence alliance, said they were robbed of a win in Belgrade.

Vucic and other ruling party officials denied the claims of vote rigging and said they would do everything to “defend voters' will of the people.”

“It’s now totally clear that, from beginning to end, the electoral process has been compromised,” said Dragan Djilas, one of the leaders of Serbia Against Violence.

Serbia Against Violence have demanded that the election be annulled and rerun.

Thousands of people have rallied in Belgrade to protest the alleged vote theft since Monday.

In their preliminary statement, an observation mission made up of representatives of international rights watchdogs also reported multiple irregularities and unjust conditions for the participants because of media bias, abuse of public resources and presidential dominance during the campaign.

Serious irregularities included cases of buying votes and the stuffing of ballot boxes, according to joint conclusions by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.


There was no immediate reaction from the EU to the letter.

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