RIK denies opposition claims about increasing the number of voters in Belgrade

(Patria) - The Republican Electoral Commission (RIK) announced today that the relevant ministries, by checking the voter lists, have determined that the claims of the largest opposition coalition "Serbia Against Violence" that the number of eligible voters in the Belgrade elections was artificially increased to influence the outcome of the elections are untrue.

The voter lists were checked by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government.

The number of voters by city municipalities of Belgrade was, as they state, checked according to the year of registration in the voter list, i.e., the registered residence at the addresses listed in the voting invitations.

"We have determined that the largest number of voters have registered residence and are entered in the Unified Voter List long before the elections held on December 17, 2023, were called," RIK stated in a statement.

They assess that this is clear proof that the claims of the "Serbia Against Violence" coalition that the number of eligible voters in the Belgrade elections was artificially increased to influence the outcome of the held elections are untrue.

Voters at the addresses listed in the voting invitations, which were submitted to RIK by the candidates of the "Serbia Against Violence" list, Marinika Tepić and Miroslav Aleksić, along with a request to annul the elections in Belgrade, as evidence of alleged electoral theft, were checked.

RIK states that from the tables submitted by the ministries, it is "clearly visible that the largest number of voters have registered residence and are entered in the voter list long before the elections were called, some even more than 20 years ago".

Opposition leaders gathered around the "Serbia Against Violence" list, as well as some citizens from the protest in front of RIK, have been demanding the annulment of elections at all levels for a week. The reason, as they state, is the distortion of the electoral will of the citizens.

The parliamentary, local, and provincial elections in Serbia on December 17 were monitored by 5,587 domestic and foreign observers, including OSCE observers.

In the days following the elections, they assessed that the elections were marked by serious irregularities, abuse of public funds, media dominance of the President of the state, Aleksandar Vučić, negative campaigning, and the spread of fear.

The state leadership and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) reject the criticisms coming from domestic and foreign observers, officials, as well as the largest opposition coalition "Serbia Against Violence".