Serbia: Both Vučić and the opposition declared victory in the elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić

Serbian President and member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Aleksandar Vučić, says that the party won convincingly in today's local elections in Zaječar, and that it was "close" in Kosjerić, but that they won by 51 votes.

The opposition in Serbia previously declared victory in the elections in those two places.

Citizens in Zaječar and Kosjerić elected local government assembly councilors today, and the polls closed at 20 pm. Zaječar residents chose from eight electoral lists, and Kosjerić residents chose from three.

Vučić said that the elections were held in an "unprecedented atmosphere of lynching", in conditions of "persecution, harassment of citizens, threats, blackmail, violations of all legal norms, violations of elementary election rules", RTS reports.

"We went to the elections wanting to fight and oppose terror, despite the fact that Zaječar and Kosjerić are wonderful places, but also because of our mistakes in the past and the fact that we were not even close to a majority in Zaječar last time. We had 42 percent, so with the help of our partners we governed Zaječar insufficiently successfully," he said in a speech from the SNS headquarters in Belgrade.

He points out that in Kosjerić they also had a huge drop in the last parliamentary elections.

"The victory in Zaječar is huge and convincing, and here are copies of all 29 minutes from Kosjarić and all 29 minutes have the signatures of our political opponents who counted it, put their signatures and said that was how much was counted. But we won, narrowly. I am especially proud of the result in Zaječar. We got more than 48 percent of the vote. The second-placed blockade list is at 34,74. The difference in votes is huge. We got 13.711, and they got 9.812," Vučić said.

He says that the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) is currently at 2,98 of the total number of voters.

"So, depending on what the SPS brings from the last polling station, which cannot fundamentally change the relationship between the government and the opposition, it will be even more convincing. In Zaječar, we had 24 mandates, now we have 27, and we received more than 14.000 votes, and last time 11.800."

When it comes to Kosjerić, he points out that the number of votes there is 3.686 for the list "We Will Not Give Up Serbia - Aleksandar Vučić", while the second list is "United for Kosjerić", with 3.635 votes.

"The Russian party has 49 votes. Interestingly, they are seven or eight votes short of winning one mandate as a minority party. And in Kosjerić we have more votes than before. I am proud and congratulate all the people who opposed and successfully defeated the colored revolution," Vučić said, as reported by RTS.

He points out that these were places where the opposition had a great chance. "Don't let me tell you that there are places where they have no chance at all," he concluded.

Before the Serbian President's address, Raša Nedeljkov, director of the CRTA association, whose observers monitored the elections, announced at around 22 p.m. that, according to their data, the list "We Will Not Give Up Serbia - Aleksandar Vučić" had won 3.686 votes, and "United for Kosjerić" 3.635, indicating that the difference was 51 votes and one mandate. He also stated that the "Russian Party - Serbia in the BRICS! Slobodan Nikolić" had won 48 votes. He stressed that if the vote was annulled at even one polling station, this could affect the final result.

The "United for Kosjerić" list declared victory in the local elections shortly after 21 p.m.

"This little bit started in Kosjerić, but let the progression start in every place. If only we could convey a bit of the atmosphere to you, and this entire day that was filled with togetherness... That's the only way to win, just like this in Kosjerić," said Slavica Pantović, second on the United for Kosjerić list and candidate for mayor.

The opposition also declared victory in Zaječar, but so far there are no unofficial results, nor results from observers from that city.

Dragana Rašić, on behalf of the Zaječar-based list "The Change We Believe In", said that Vučić's declaration of victory was nothing spectacular, that it was expected and that citizens would defend the victory in the streets, N1 reports.

"I warned the SNS not to try to steal a single vote. Their methods are clear to us and this is the expected scenario, it is nothing spectacular. But we will preserve our victory," said Rašić.

The opposition in Kosjerić is thoroughly reviewing all the lists and irregularities. They say they have noticed that people voted without being registered, reports N1.

"It is certain that there will be even more of them," said Slavica Pantović, representing the "United for Kosjerić" list.

The students in the blockade announced that they were waiting for the election results in front of the Serbian Presidency. Several hundred students and citizens gathered there.

Who participated in the elections?

Citizens in Zaječar chose from eight lists: "Aleksandar Vučić - We Will Not Give Up on Serbia", "The Change We Believe in - Uglješa Đuričković - Dragana Rašić", "United to Save Zaječar - Miladin Krstić - Mirko Jelenković", "Dr Nenad Ristović - Domestic for Zaječar", "Ivica Dačić - Socialist Party of Serbia - Decisively for Zaječar".

They could also vote for the lists "Coalition for Eastern Serbia - Saša Radulović Grljanac", "We the Power of the People, Prof. Dr. Branimir Nestorović - City of Zaječar" and "Serbian Liberals - Let the Profession Be Asked - Vladimir Kovačević".

Citizens in Kosjerić chose between three lists - "We Will Not Give Up Serbia - Aleksandar Vučić", "Russian Party - Serbia in the BRICS! Slobodan Nikolić" and United for Kosjerić.

More than 60 percent of voters voted in Zaječar, and over 80 percent in Kosjerić.

The Zaječar City Assembly has 50 councilor seats, while the Kosjerić Municipal Assembly has 27 councilors.

CRTA: Irregularities at 86 percent of polling stations in Zaječar, and 55 percent in Kosjerić

The CRTA observation mission announced that by 19 p.m., irregularities had been recorded at 86 percent of polling stations in Zaječar, and at 55 percent of polling stations in Kosjerić.

As Crta stated, the illegal presence of third parties at polling stations, suspicious gatherings around polling stations and vote buying, keeping parallel records at and in front of polling stations, photographing ballots and voting without documents were recorded.

"We recorded more irregularities in Zaječar than in Kosjerić, both in terms of intensity and nature of these irregularities. However, outside the polling stations and in Kosjerić, there was great tension and huge crowds throughout the day due to the large presence of numerous activists from the ruling and opposition parties, as well as self-organized citizens who came from various parts of Serbia," the CRTA statement reads.

They say that election day was marked by a high turnout and the presence of a large number of police officers on the ground.

Crta previously announced that by 19 p.m., 82 percent of citizens had voted in the local elections in Kosjerić, and 59,6 percent in Zaječar.

Crta added that its observers were exposed to pressure at 10 polling stations.