(2 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Belgrade, Serbia - 02 June 2024
1. Various of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his wife Tamara Vucic arriving to cast ballot
2. Various of Aleksandar Vucic and Tamara Vucic voting and leaving
STORYLINE:
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic cast his ballot on Sunday in a municipal vote in dozens of cities and towns, including a rerun ballot in the capital Belgrade where ruling populists were accused of election fraud in December.
Vucic's right-wing Serbian Progressive Party is seen as a favourite ahead of the Sunday balloting, aiming to further cement an already vast hold on power.
The populist Serbian strongman is formally seeking European Union entry for his troubled nation but has steadily drifted away from pro-EU democracy values while nurturing close ties with Russia and China.
Vucic's opponents remain weak.
A pro-Western opposition alliance that was behind anti-government street protests last year has splintered and turned against each other, diminishing chances of an upset.
Some 6.5 million voters will choose local authorities in all key cities in Serbia: capital Belgrade, northern regional centre of Novi Sad and Nis in the south, as well as an additional nearly 80 town halls or local councils throughout the country.
The governing party has controlled firmly all layers of power in Serbia for over a decade, so it would mark a huge success for the opposition if they manage to wrestle away at least some of the local councils, not to mention big cities.
Analysts, however, warn that disagreements among opposition groups have led to huge disappointment among their supporters and that voter apathy is widespread ahead of the ballot on Sunday.
Vucic's right-wing Serbian Progressive Party is dominant.
Firmly led by Vucic, the populists have presented themselves as the only party capable of running the country and maintaining stability at the time of global turmoil.
Populists have refuted reports of widespread irregularities during the previous election that were levelled by both international and local election observers.
They have pushed a message of a strong national state defying powerful enemies in the West.
Pro-Western opposition groups have accused Vucic of crime links, corruption and a crackdown on democracy.
They have split over whether to take part in the ballot or press on with demands for free and fair elections.
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