International observers said Serbia's October 25 early parliamentary elections drew high turnout and strong competition between the two main contenders, but were held in a deeply polarized atmosphere, with serious inequalities in campaign conditions.
Oglas
In a preliminary statement, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament's observer delegations said the ruling party benefited from entrenched advantages, including the misuse of public resources, while intimidation, pressure on voters and disruptions of campaign activities undermined the electoral environment.
The observers said election preparations were generally efficient and candidate registration inclusive, but politically influenced decisions raised concerns about the impartiality of the Republic Election Commission. They also cited shortcomings in the handling of complaints and persistent public distrust in the voter register.
Most stages of election day were assessed positively at the vast majority of polling stations observed. However, incidents of physical violence against polling staff, citizen observers and journalists raised serious concerns. Independent access for voters with physical disabilities was not provided at 60 percent of the 1,485 polling stations observed.
The statement said public and private broadcasters favoured the United Serbia list and predominantly portrayed the Student List negatively. Media pressure, attacks and threats against journalists contributed to self-censorship, while most monitored broadcasters failed to provide voters with sufficient impartial information to make informed choices.
Observers also warned that online campaigning remained largely unregulated, with inadequate safeguards against disinformation and manipulation. Reported cyber-security incidents, coordinated inauthentic activity and allegations of unlawful digital surveillance, including the use of Pegasus spyware, remained concerns.
Although amendments to electoral legislation addressed several previous recommendations, significant reforms remained outstanding, particularly in campaign finance transparency and oversight.
The observers said the high turnout demonstrated citizens' commitment to democratic participation and called on the newly elected authorities to strengthen transparency, restore public trust and ensure fairer electoral conditions.
Read the preliminary report here.
Teme