Anti-government demonstrations continue after disputed Serbian elections

SERBIA ELECTIONS RESULTS PROTEST

An opposition supporter shows a red card reading 'We don't agree' during a protest against election fraud in Belgrade, Serbia (AAP) Source: EPA / ANDREJ CUKIC/EPA

Elections were held on December 17 to elect members of Serbia's National Assembly. But for the past two weeks, there have been demonstrations against the results, with protesters adamant there was fraud in the way the vote was conducted. The protesters want new elections.


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TRANSCRIPT:

Serbia held its parliamentary elections on the 17th of December.

The ruling Serbian Progressive Party was declared the election winner - but for almost two weeks now, there have been protests over that result.

A group called Serbia Against Violence has organised daily demonstrations in front of the election commission.

This man, Boris Ivanovic, says new elections must be held without delay.

“People are on the street, dissatisfied, with the election theft which is obvious, everyone confirmed it, the international observers, internal controllers at the elections. There has been a serious disruption of the electoral process, and that is why the elections have to be repeated.”

This protestor, Zdravko Jankovic, says President Aleksandar Vucic is the main target of criticism.

He says they don't intend to stop until they achieve their goal of a new ballot.

“It is our right as citizens to fight for what’s ours, and to win in the end. And we will win in the end. We have won over Slobodan Milosevic, we will win over his pale copy, Aleksandar Vucic.”

The main opposition alliance, Serbia Against Violence, also claims the election was marred with fraud.

Opposition politician Marinika Tepic has been on a hunger strike since the ballot, along with several other colleagues.

They have alleged authorities included dead people on voter lists, and imported voters from Bosnia and Kosovo.

The most recent protest has ended with a march to Serbia's Constitutional Court, which will ultimately rule on electoral complaints.

Protester Nikola Pavlovic is sure he is doing the right thing.

"If one feels that something is not right, then one casts a vote to disagree with what is wrong, that is what we can do - not to take the side of what we think is wrong. One day, our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will see who said what at which moment in history and where they were."

It's not just voters and the Opposition who are concerned with the election results.

Several global watchdogs have reported cases of vote-buying and ballot box stuffing, and alleged voters from across Serbia and neighbouring countries were registered and bused in to cast ballots in Belgrade.

But ruling party leader Milos Vucevic has dismissed the protests, saying there was only a small number of demonstrators, and reports of fraud are "fabricated".

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