SNS declares victory in local vote in two towns in Serbia; Analyst: SNS’ fall

FoNet/Slobodna reč

The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) declared victory in local elections in two out of three towns early on Monday, and an analyst said 20 percent fewer votes in one of them indicated the party dwindled.

SNS won in the eastern town of Zajecar and the western place of Kosjeric.

The voting results in the southwestern town of Presevo with a majority of the Albanian population were still unknown.

Later on Monday, Djordje Vukadinovic, a political analyst, told N1 that the results of the local elections in two towns in Serbia showed the decline of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) popularity after its victory, but with 20 percent fewer votes in the eastern town of Zajecar than in the last year’s general elections.

N1

In the second town, Kosjeric, in western Serbia, SNS, led by President Aleksandar Vucic, did much better, but Vukadinovic thought „Serbia is closer to Zajecar than Kosjeric,“ ahead of the 2022 presidential and early parliamentary elections.

“How contagious the process (in Zajecar) will be and whether it will be an endemic disease that will spread across Serbia” remains to be seen, according to Vukadinovic.

He added SNS did not celebrate the victory as it usually did because, as he said, Vucic was not happy with the Zahecar results.

“They indicate a serious commotion and crisis among the SNS ranks ahead of the 2022 elections on all levels,” Vukadinovic said.

The opposition parties, which boycotted last year’s general elections, did not participate in Sunday’s vote, saying the conditions were not fair.

Zajecar’s election commission said no irregularity was reported, while the locals recorded people who entered the buildings with lists of voters inviting citizens to cast a ballot.

Ahead of the elections, many state officials, including President Aleksandar Vucic, toured nearby places in what the opposition and NGOs described as a functionary campaign.