Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated today, a day after local elections in Kosjerić and Zaječar, that he is calling on all those “who think differently at all levels” for discussions and agreements, reports RFE.
“The more common denominators we find, the better it will be for our country. If some don’t want to, that’s fine too. We will win, and people will understand who wanted it and who didn’t,” Vučić said in a statement on social media on June 9.
Vučić thanked the citizens of Kosjerić and Zaječar, towns in western and eastern Serbia, for the “enormous trust” they showed in the local elections held on Sunday.
Kosjerić Results and Irregularities
In the local elections in Kosjerić, the “We Don’t Give Up Serbia Aleksandar Vučić” list won 14 mandates. The “United for Kosjerić” list won one mandate less, the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) announced on June 9, based on 100% of processed polling stations.
The ruling party’s list received 3,686 votes (49.23%), while the “United for Kosjerić” list received 3,635 votes (48.54%), a difference of 51 votes. The Russian Party – Slobodan Nikolić also participated in these elections but did not cross the threshold.
The “United for Kosjerić” list announced that they “cannot accept these results due to numerous irregularities” and will submit requests “to overturn problematic polling stations.” They stated on X that their members of the Municipal Electoral Commission did not vote for the preliminary election results, and that there are several polling stations where significant irregularities were observed.
Zaječar Results and Allegations of Irregularities
Official data for the elections in Zaječar are not yet available. According to data from the Crta observer mission, the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is ahead in both towns. However, Crta assessed that due to the irregularities they recorded during the election process, the results do not reflect the will of the citizens.
Shortly after the polls closed on Sunday, June 8, both the government and the opposition declared victory in both towns.
Campaign Marked by Incidents and Increased Official Visits
The pre-election campaign in Kosjerić and Zaječar was marked by incidents, including clashes between supporters of the government and opposition, as well as attacks on journalistic teams. Crta announced that their observers recorded 71 cases of intimidation, verbal and physical violence against opposition activists, journalists, and citizens in Zaječar and Kosjerić over the past three weeks.
According to the non-governmental organization Transparency Serbia, the number of ministerial visits in Kosjerić was the same as in the entire previous four-year period, while in Zaječar, the number of visits by state officials during this campaign was higher than in all of 2024.
The local elections in Kosjerić and Zaječar, in the south of the country, are the first electoral test for the government since student faculty blockades and anti-regime protests began in November 2024 following the death of 16 people in a concrete canopy collapse in Novi Sad.
In both local self-governments, the Serbian Progressive Party has been in power until now, holding a majority at the republican level as well.
