Presidential Race: Electoral Commission Confirms Six Nominations, Two still being Reviewed  

Voting in Serbia (BetaPhoto/Emil Vas)

The Serbian Electoral Commission has confirmed nominations of six candidates for the upcoming presidential vote scheduled for April 3, while another two nominations are still being reviewed. A final list of presidential candidates should be published on March 18.

Among the first to submit their nominations were Zdravko Ponos, a candidate of United for Victory of Serbia coalition, gathered around the Freedom and Justice Party, the People’s Party and the Democratic party, and Milos Jovanovic, a candidate of NADA coalition, gathered around the Democratic Party of Serbia and a group of the Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia members, led by Vojislav Mihailovic.

Nominations were also submitted by Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski, a candidate of Oath Keepers, and the incumbent Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, a candidate of the Serbian Progressive Party, who submitted 150,000 signatures of voters, 140,000 more than required. The day before the application deadline, nominations were also submitted by Biljana Stojkovic, a candidate of We Must coalition, gathered around Together for Serbia, Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own and Ecological Uprising, and Bosko Obradovic, a candidate of the Patriotic Bloc, gathered around the Serbian Movement Dveri and a group of the Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia members, led by Zika Gojkovic.

On the last registration day, nominations were submitted by Serbian Right candidate Misa Vacic and Sovereignists coalition candidate Branka Stamenkovic, but as their nominations were incomplete, the Commission granted them another 48 hours to submit 72 and 225 missing signatures respectively.

Nominations have also been announced by the former Serbian president, Boris Tadic, and the former minister in the Zoran Djindjic cabinet, Dragoslav Sumarac, to run for coalition Let’s Go People, Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture professor Miladin Sevarlic, a candidate of the Reformist Party, and journalist Srdjan Skoro, a candidate of Ask the Professional movement. Liberation Movement leader Mladjan Djordjevic has submitted empty boxes instead of signatures of voters.

Election blackout will be in place from midnight on March 31 until the closing of polls at 8 pm on April 3. The order of presidential candidates on ballots will be decided by drawing lots.