The elections results were not without controversy, with the results being challenged by multiple sides. Presidency candidate Ivanić wrote in a Serbian weekly NIN about the cases buying of the votes, stressing that the price was allegedly 200 Euros during the election day. Also expressing his doubts was Fahrudin Radončić from Alliance for a Better Future (SBB). “The results of the election for Presidency members are very controversial for us. The legality of these elections is severely endangered, and we expect a reaction from the Prosecutor’s Office”, he stated.
Furthermore, Radio Free Europe reported on the cases of multiple deceased persons still being on the registry of voters, which paves the way for potential manipulations. The number of invalid votes was also unusually high, at around 500.000.
On the other hand, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn welcomed the results in a joint statement. They characterized the election day as an exercise of citizen’s democratic right “in a calm and orderly manner”.
“The legal framework is generally conducive to holding democratic elections, but important long-standing shortcomings remain. We expect the recommendations by OSCE/ODHIR to be addressed without delay to improve the electoral process”, the statement reads.
(Source: europeanwesternbalkans)
