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Ruling Progressive Party wins majority in Serbia poll | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has won a big parliamentary majority in the general election, vote monitors say. | |
Based on a partial count, the Cesid polling group said the centre-right party won almost 49% of the vote, or 157 seats in the 250-seat parliament. | |
The Socialists, coalition partners for the SNS, were running second with 15%. | |
SNS leader Aleksandar Vucic, 44, is now poised to become the country's next prime minister. | |
"They will have a majority" in parliament, Cesid chief Marko Blagojevic told reporters, referring to the SNS. | |
If confirmed, it will be the first time in Serbia's short democratic history that one party has won an overall majority in parliament. | |
The party's success in the polls is seen as driven by its anti-corruption campaign and by its move to start EU membership talks. | |
The opposition Democratic Party had been trailing third in the polls. | |
'Super-guy' | 'Super-guy' |
As polls closed at 19:00 GMT, election officials said the turnout was 50.3%, lower than the previous vote in 2012. | As polls closed at 19:00 GMT, election officials said the turnout was 50.3%, lower than the previous vote in 2012. |
About 6.7 million voters were eligible to cast their ballots to choose a new 250-member parliament. | |
"We need a landslide victory to create new jobs, firmly pursue reforms and fight corruption with full forces," Mr Vucic said earlier this week. | "We need a landslide victory to create new jobs, firmly pursue reforms and fight corruption with full forces," Mr Vucic said earlier this week. |
His party is also credited with normalising relations with Kosovo. | His party is also credited with normalising relations with Kosovo. |
It's a remarkable story of redemption for Aleksandar Vucic, who in his twenties served as information minister under the autocratic, ultra-nationalist president Slobodan Milosevic, says the BBC's Guy De Launey in Belgrade reports. | |
Yet now he's being trusted by voters to steer Serbia to membership of the European Union, he adds. | |
The opposition says it would be dangerous to place too much power in Mr Vucic. | |
"The whole country is mesmerised by this super-guy, Mr Vucic, who controls all the media and decides on everything. What we are facing now is a one-man regime," said Borko Stefanovic, the Democratic Party's parliamentary leader. | "The whole country is mesmerised by this super-guy, Mr Vucic, who controls all the media and decides on everything. What we are facing now is a one-man regime," said Borko Stefanovic, the Democratic Party's parliamentary leader. |
Serbia's next government will have plenty to do, our correspondent says. One in three Serbians cannot find a job, and the EU accession process will be long and rigorous. | Serbia's next government will have plenty to do, our correspondent says. One in three Serbians cannot find a job, and the EU accession process will be long and rigorous. |