Serbia: Thousands rally for 8th day amid allegations of fraud
Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Belgrade for the eighth consecutive day on Monday, rallying in support of those arrested during protests against alleged electoral fraud in Serbia’s recent parliamentary and local elections.
The protests, unlike Sunday’s, remained peaceful, marking a shift in tone despite initial roadblocks and a gathering in front of the state electoral commission building.
The opposition figure, Srdjan Milivojevic, from the “Serbia against Violence” coalition, rallied the crowd, declaring their intention to reconvene on Tuesday at 6 pm.
This follows Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s denouncement of violence on the previous evening, emphasizing evidence of premeditated planning behind the clashes.
Accusations of foreign interference arose on Monday, with Moscow suggesting that Western actors were attempting to instigate unrest.
President Vucic met with the Russian ambassador, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, to brief him on the incidents, highlighting the delicate balance Vucic maintains between EU aspirations and relationships with Russia, Beijing, and Washington.
In central Belgrade, a few hundred demonstrators, predominantly students aligned with the “Borba” movement, blocked streets in support of opposition claims of fraud.
The protesters demanded a revision of the voter roll, alleging it as the source of the alleged electoral misconduct.
“I am born in 2002, and I thought that there would be no need to fight for democracy through the street like my parents did, but I have to,” stated Emilija Milenkovic, a 21-year-old politics student, emphasizing the unexpected resurgence of activism reminiscent of the “Otpor” movement against Slobodan Milosevic.
The election aftermath saw Vucic’s party claiming victory with more than half of parliament’s seats, while the main opposition coalition denounced electoral fraud, alleging illegal voting by Bosnian residents in the capital. International observers reported irregularities, prompting concerns from Germany and Brussels, with the latter stressing the need for Serbia’s electoral process improvement.
Serbian prosecutors initiated a probe into fraud allegations, while Russian support for Vucic intensified. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova likened the unrest to Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan protests, alleging Western involvement.
Amidst the ongoing turmoil, hunger strikes and calls for annulled results persist. Radomir Lazovic, a deputy from the opposition coalition, expressed hope for resolution “if they admit the fraud and cancel the elections,” recounting his personal experience of police brutality during Sunday night’s clashes.
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