SERBIA – More than 1,000 protesters against restrictions on voters abroad

BELGRADE, 8 October /ATSH-DPA/ – Protesters took to the streets of Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, yesterday to oppose restrictions that are making it harder for Serbs living abroad to vote, ahead of important parliamentary elections to be held later this month.

More than 1,000 people gathered in front of the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK). The protesters demanded that the commission change the decisions that make voting more difficult for Serbs living outside Serbia.

The early parliamentary elections of 25 October will pit a student-led opposition movement against the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of former president Aleksandar Vučić. Vučić and the SNS have dominated Serbian politics since 2012.

More than 100,000 Serbs living abroad have registered to vote in these elections. In the last parliamentary elections, in 2023, around 40,000 Serbs were registered.

Earlier this week, the electoral commission changed the places where voting abroad will take place. These polling stations are located mainly in Serbian embassies and consulates in various countries. The change has meant that some voters living outside Serbia have to travel much greater distances to vote.

Moreover, the new rules stipulate that polling stations abroad must operate according to Serbian time, and not according to the local time of the countries where they are located. This means that some Serbs living in countries with a large time difference, such as Australia, may be forced to vote during the night, local time.

The electoral commission, which is dominated by people close to the SNS, said these changes were made on the basis of recommendations from Serbia’s Foreign Ministry.

Aleksandar Vučić resigned as president last month in order to lead the SNS in the upcoming elections. He aims to become Serbia’s prime minister after the elections.

The student opposition movement was created after nationwide protests that began following the collapse of part of the roof of a railway station in Novi Sad in November 2024. Sixteen people lost their lives in the collapse. Government critics linked the tragedy to official negligence and corruption. The event sparked months of mass protests across Serbia.