GOVERNMENT SUBMITS PROPOSAL TO PRESIDENT TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT AND CALL ELECTIONS

BELGRADE, SEPTEMBER 7 /SRNA/ - The Serbian Government today adopted a proposal and submitted it to the President of Serbia to dissolve the National Assembly and call parliamentary elections.

In his explanation of the decision, Prime Minister Đuro Macut said that, in the period following the elections held on December 17, 2023, political stakeholders had been given the opportunity to put forward proposals aimed at further improving electoral conditions and election legislation in Serbia. He said that, taking into account the views expressed, particularly the recommendations of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, electoral conditions in Serbia had been further and significantly improved. Holding new parliamentary elections under such circumstances would ensure a higher degree of democracy, would reduce tensions between opposing political forces in society, reject exclusivity and hate speech, and promote the right to freely express opinions and views on certain political, economic and other issues, including further promoting European values, the explanation said. Accordingly, and particularly taking into account the fact that there are demands among part of the public for new, snap parliamentary elections, Macut said that the Government is proposing that the President of the Republic dissolve the National Assembly and call parliamentary elections. Under the Constitution, the President of Serbia has 72 hours to sign a decree dissolving the National Assembly and call elections, which must be held no later than 60 days from the date they are called. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić previously said that the elections would be held on October 18 or 25, and that he would call them no later than September 9 or 10.