Candidates considered close to the ruling establishment have won crucial positions in the elections for Serbia’s High Prosecutorial Council, according to results from the repeated vote held at several polling stations.
At the level of higher public prosecutor’s offices, prosecutor Nikola Uskoković from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade secured the majority, obtaining 48.89% of the vote (110 out of 225 ballots). He defeated Boris Majlat, a prosecutor from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Šabac and former chief prosecutor for high-tech crime, who received 47.11% (106 votes).
Uskoković is widely viewed as a close associate of Belgrade’s chief prosecutor Nenad Stefanović, while Majlat is considered aligned with the circle of Supreme Public Prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac. The rivalry between these factions has intensified tensions within Serbia’s prosecutorial system for months.
The election results were monitored by the YUCOM, which reported a turnout of 97.83%, with only five prosecutors abstaining and 10 invalid ballots (around 4%) recorded.
Repeated Elections After Legal Challenges
The vote was repeated at four polling stations—two in Kragujevac, one in Niš, and one in Novi Sad—after complaints about alleged violations of electoral rights during the initial election held in December. Although the Prosecutorial Council initially rejected those complaints, Serbia’s Constitutional Court later upheld them, prompting the re-run.
The December vote had already elected two members of the Council from among prosecutors at the appellate and supreme levels. In that round:
- Radmila Jovanović from the Appellate Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade received the most votes among appellate candidates.
- Jasmina Stanković was elected unopposed from the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Results at the Basic Prosecutor Level
At the level of basic public prosecutor’s offices, seats in the Council were once again secured by:
- Predrag Milovanović, prosecutor at the Second Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.
- Boris Pavlović, prosecutor at the Third Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.
Both are already members of the current Prosecutorial Council. Their challengers in the race were prosecutors Jovana Komnenović and Nikola Stojanović from the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.
A Highly Watched Election for Serbia’s Judiciary
The elections for the High Prosecutorial Council were among the most significant and closely followed in recent years, amid a months-long campaign in pro-government media and on social networks.
The Council consists of 11 members:
- Five elected from among public prosecutors,
- Four elected by parliament from prominent legal professionals,
- Two permanent members by position – the Supreme Public Prosecutor and the Minister of Justice.
Analysts note that the outcome could influence the balance of power within Serbia’s judicial system, particularly regarding oversight of prosecutors and key legal reforms.
