A man holds a flare in front of a pre-election billboard showing Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, left, and Belgrade mayor candidate Aleksandar Sapic, during a final pre-election rally of oppositio
Batten down your mental hatches and toss your ordinary expectations overboard as we sail into the turbulent waters of Serbian politics. A squall is brewing as the tempestuous Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, showcases his commitment to re-establish his populist party's ruling wind in the forthcoming parliamentary and local elections.
Serbia, an eastern European country grappling with its own unique problems, is readying itself for a tussle at the ballot box this Sunday. The protagonists of this political drama are Vucic's unwavering Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and a pro-Western opposition alliance determined to shake the populist tree, which has been standing unyielding since 2012.
While Vucic himself may not be officially striding towards the voting field, his formidable shadow looms large across the campaign of his loyal SNS. Dressed under the campaign banner “Aleksandar Vucic -- Serbia must not stop!' they will face off against the principal opposition, the Serbia Against Violence alliance. This politically diverse group rose from the ranks of the public protests spurred by a pair of horrifying mass shootings earlier this year.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic waves to his supporters during a pre-election rally of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Serbia's President Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)A man holds a flare in front of a pre-election billboard showing Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, left, and Belgrade mayor candidate Aleksandar Sapic, during a final pre-election rally of opposition "Serbia against violence" coalition in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Serbia's President Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)An image of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is seen during a pre-election rally of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Serbia's President Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)A woman wears a Red Star soccer club cap attends a rally of ProGlas initiative in Nis, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. ProGlas initiative was formed by a number of prominent public figures to call the electorate to turn out to vote at the Dec. 17 elections. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)People attend a final pre-election rally of opposition "Serbia against violence" coalition in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)People attend a rally of ProGlas initiative in Nis, Serbia, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. ProGlas initiative was formed by a number of prominent public figures to call the electorate to turn out to vote at the Dec. 17 elections. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)The snap vote is seen as Vucic's tactic to consolidate power amidst civil unrest.A man holds a crutch with Serbian flag during a pre-election rally of Serbian Progressive Party in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)A man walks past a pre-election billboard showing convicted war criminal and Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj, reading: "Homeland Serbia - Mother Rossia" in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party's dominance at this weekend's early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)A man rides a bicycle by election billboards of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) reading: ''Aleksandar Vucic, for our children.'', in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Most of the main opposition parties plan to boycott the vote because of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's firm control of media and the electoral process. Vucic and his allies have denounced the boycott, saying it includes groups that would anyway not get enough votes to make it into Serbia's 250-seat parliament. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
However, our journey is not all smooth sailing. Reports are surfacing of murky election tactics, namely pressure on voters, misusing public offices, and downright fishy instances of vote-buying, voter bribery, and suspicious signatures on election lists. Even the ghostly presence of deceased citizens has reportedly made its way into the electoral mix with voting invites being sent their way.
Vucic and the SNS have adamantly denied these allegations alongside charges of infractions in following the constitution. But the watchdogs at the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) aren't quite ready to let this ship sail, raising alarming flags about alarming breaches of free and fair election norms.
With minimal impact from past attempts to rectify these disparities, some have called into question the conditions under which this election is being run. As the leader of the Serbia Against Violence bloc, Dragan Djilas, lamented, 'Election conditions are not the same. The conditions are worse than in the past.'
Despite these trials and tribulations, the opposition powers are still opting to face this storm head-on. Among the swirling accusations, governmental support has positioned the campaign stage as a referendum tantamount to a presidential election. The shift of focus has blurred the vision of many, with a considerable number now convinced this bout is indeed deciding on the president.
As an equal player in this saga, mainstream media has also found itself under scrutiny for teetering scales, largely favoring the majority party and being relatively dismissive towards the opposition. It’s evident that what was supposed to be a democratic regatta has become a high-stakes solo endeavor for the ruling party.
Looking at the current intermittent headwinds, polling agencies are hesitant to release pre-election surveys, underlying the high voltage aura of fear and polarization. But through these high seas, Vucic remains undeterred, confident of navigating his ship towards the victory shore.
The stage is set, the destiny of Serbia hangs in the balance, and the world watches as one of Eastern Europe's most fascinating political narratives unfolds. Now, we must wait with bated breath to see whose ship will complete this gripping electoral odyssey, crossing the tumultuous ocean of expectations and entering the calm harbor of triumph.
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