Serbia’s local elections were well organized but marred by unlevel playing field and reduced competitiveness, international observers say
BELGRADE, 3 June 2024 – Serbia’s local elections were well run and freedom of expression and assembly were respected, but the dominance of the ruling party as well as the fragmentation of the opposition reduced their competitiveness, while allegations of widespread pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public resources favoured the ruling coalition, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.
The legal framework is adequate to carry out democratic elections, but there are still a number of gaps and inconsistencies. While the 2022 legal revisions acted on a number of ODIHR’s recommendations, several key issues remain unaddressed, including on the misuse of public resources and oversight of media and of campaign finance. A parliamentary working group with representatives from both the ruling and opposition parties as well as civil society was set up in April specifically to address all previous ODIHR recommendations, but they did not agree on any draft proposals ahead of election day.
“While these elections were well run, we nonetheless witnessed a dominance of the ruling party and misuse of public resources,” said Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, head of the ODIHR election observation mission. “I very much welcome the creation of the working group for working on the implementation of ODIHR’s recommendations to improve the election process. But now all members from across the political spectrum must show commitment to moving forward, not just for the benefit of one election or one party, but for the future of all citizens.”
Some 4.2 million voters could vote in yesterday’s elections. Steps taken to reduce tensions following widespread concerns about the accuracy of the voter register from previous elections were welcomed, but are generally considered still insufficient. The local election administrations worked efficiently, and there was generally high confidence in their ability to organize the vote. However, their dependence on local administrations that were dominated by the ruling coalition decreased trust. Election day went smoothly overall, but observers noted numerous problems with the secrecy of the vote as well as several instances of serious irregularities including vote buying, and isolated cases of violence. Observers generally assessed the counting and tabulation positively.
Although fundamental freedoms were respected and voters were offered a wide range of political options, concerns about widespread pressure on public sector employees and the misuse of public resources raised questions about the opportunity for voters to make their choice freely.
The media in Serbia is diverse but highly polarized. Public service media and national private broadcasters largely favoured public officials and the ruling parties, while coverage of the opposition on private channels was often negative. Media prioritized the national agenda over local issues, limiting the amount of information available to voters. Long-standing concerns including threats and intimidation of journalists, strategic lawsuits against investigative journalists, and impunity for crimes committed against them.
ODIHR’s election observation mission to the Serbian local elections took up its work on 30 April. The observation mission totalled 126 observers from 28 countries, made up of 16 ODIHR-deployed experts, 18 long-term, and 92 short-term observers deployed throughout Serbia.
For further information, please contact:
Katya Andrusz, ODIHR: +48 609 522 266 or katya.andrusz@odihr.pl