BELGRADE, Republic of Serbia
Serbia's Progressive Party (SNS) led by the current Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic took 48.44 percent of the votes in parliamentary elections Sunday, winning 156 seats in the 250-seat National Assembly, according to preliminary results.
The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) led by Prime Minister IIvica Dacicse won 14.05 percent of the votes, to take 45 seats, while the New Democratic Party (NDS) led by former President Boris Tadic and Tadic's former party, the Democratic Party (DS), won 5.86, 18 seats, and 5.46 percent of the votes, 17 seats, respectively, according to the Republic Electoral Commission.
Among the parties respresenting minorities, the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians won 3.01 percent, nine seats, the Party of Democratic Action of Sandzak led by Bosnian Dr. Sulejman Ugljanin won 1.09 percent, three seats, and the Party for Democratic Action representing ethnic Albanians in Southern Serbia won 0.89 percent of the votes, two seats.
Candidates on the election lists that receive a minimum of 5 percent of votes are allowed to participate in the distribution of MPs’ mandates. However, political parties of national minorities are exempt from this quota.
In accordance with the preliminary results, SNS will be able to establish a single-party government in Serbia which has been ruled by coalitions for a long time.
"We have gotten a better result than the one Slobodan Milosevic got in 1990," declared SNS leader and First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.
Vucic claimed that the results of the Sunday parliamentary elections have been the most persuasive since 1990, and stated that the SNS is ready to negotiate and collaborate with the other parties.
Vucic said that their biggest priority would be tackling unemployment. He claimed that the unemployment rate would drop significantly by the time they serve half of their term in office.
RIK Chairperson Prof. Dr. Dejan Durdevic announced in a press conference that the voter turnout was 55.26 percent, and 2.69 percent of the votes were invalid.
65.37 percent of the polling booths have been opened, and 50.51 percent of the votes counted so far.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
