Gov’t Adopts Proposal to Disband Parliament

Serbian Government Building (BETAPHOTO/NENAD PETROVIC)

At a Sept. 7 session, the Serbian government adopted a proposal for disbanding the parliament and calling an early parliamentary election and sent it to the Serbian president, the government said in a press release.

According to the statement, Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut's rationale for the decision is that, in the time after the Dec. 17, 2023 elections, interested entities have had the opportunity to put forward proposals to improve election conditions and election legislation in Serbia.

He further said "election conditions in Serbia have been additionally and significantly improved," taking into account those opinions, and especially the recommendations of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation.

"Holding new parliamentary elections in such circumstances would ensure a higher level of democracy, a reduction in the tension being created among opposed groups in society, a rejection of exclusivity and hate speech and an affirmation of the right to freely express opinions and beliefs about certain political, economic and other matters, including the further affirmation of European values," the rationale reads.

Accordingly, and especially acknowledging the fact that a part of the public is demanding a new extraordinary parliamentary election, Macut said, the government is proposing that the president disband the National Assembly and call the election.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said he will most likely call the election on Sept. 9 or 10, which is the latest legally permitted time to do so for the elections to take place on Oct. 25, as he announced earlier.