European Union (EU) announced that she was following closely local elections held on March 29 in ten municipalities in Serbia and notes with concern the reports of acts of violence against independent observers, citizens, representatives of political parties and media workers.
The EU calls on the authorities responsible for these matters to be held accountable.
"We welcome the fact that the national authorities have invited the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe to observe local elections. We take note of the findings of the election observation delegation, as published on March 30. We regret the number of reported irregularities and incidents during the election, the uneven conditions for all participants, and note with concern the reports on the acts Nasil over independent observers, citizens, representatives of political parties and media workers. We call on the competent national authorities to ensure quick and transparent action on these issues and to hold those responsible to account," said the statement published by the N1 portal.
As they added, they welcome the high voter turnout and the active participation of citizens.
Photo: Tanjug / Amir HamzagićConflict in Kula
"We remind you that it is the duty of the state to protect citizens from violence, to provide adequate conditions for the work of civil observers in an environment free of pressure and intimidation, as well as to guarantee the safety of journalists in the context of elections," the EU delegation emphasizes.
They remind that, building on the first positive steps taken to address concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral roll, the electoral process requires additional concrete improvements and reforms.
"In this sense, we call for an inclusive process that includes all relevant actors, in order to advance the work on the full implementation of the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe, with the aim of improving the electoral framework and its implementation, well before the next national elections. We will continue to closely monitor the development of events related to electoral reforms, as well as future local and national elections, because the proper functioning of Serbia's democratic institutions is at the very core of its accession process to the European Union," the delegation said.
Marta Kos: Violence, threats and irregularities are unacceptable
Violence, threats and irregularities in the elections are unacceptable, said EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.
"Widespread incidents of violence, threats and irregularities in voting - what the Council of Europe observer mission witnessed during the local elections in Serbia is unacceptable," stated Kos on the X social network.
She recalled the basic condition for EU membership.
"Free and fair elections are the foundation of democracy, especially for countries that are candidates for EU membership, such as Serbia," said Kos.
She called on the competent authorities to investigate and prosecute all incidents.
"We call on the competent national authorities to ensure a quick and transparent investigation of the reported incidents and to hold the perpetrators accountable," wrote Marta Kos.
Real journalism costs money, and we will not be bought by tycoons and corporations. Support us with a one-time or monthly donation. The time for it is now!
