Brnabić elected Speaker of the Assembly, it is not yet known who will replace her as Prime Minister of Serbia

(Patria) - The former Prime Minister of Serbia and official of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Ana Brnabić has been elected as the new Speaker of the Serbian Parliament.

Out of 158 deputies present, 153 voted in favour, while five were against.

Brnabić was confirmed as Speaker of the Parliament after a three-day debate marked by sharp verbal clashes between the ruling party and the opposition.

Following her election, the selection of deputy speakers began, and that part of the session was accompanied by banging on parliamentary desks and noise created by opposition deputies. By a majority vote, the following were elected as deputy speakers of the parliament – Sandra Božić (SNS), Edin Đerlek (Party of Justice and Reconciliation), Dr Jovan Janjić (We – The Voice of the People), Elvira Kovač (SVM), Snežana Paunović (SPS) and Marina Raguš (SNS).

Srđan Smiljanić was elected as Secretary General.

The Progressives won 129 of the 250 seats in the State Parliament and, with the 18 mandates of their former coalition partners, the Socialists (SPS) of Ivica Dačić and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), along with the support of several minority lists, hold a majority.

The constitution of the parliament is a prerequisite for forming a new government of Serbia. The mandate-holder who will be entrusted with proposing its composition has not yet been proposed, although the round of consultations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has been concluded.

The opposition did not participate in the consultations.