Vucic announces early parliamentary elections in Serbia
4 November 10:12
The Serbian authorities are ready to hold parliamentary elections ahead of schedule as they respect the demands of the protesters. This was stated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Srbija Danas newspaper reports, "Komersant Ukrainian".
“Respecting the demands of the protesters, who are a significant minority in our country, we will meet them halfway and the elections will be held ahead of schedule,” he stressed.
At the same time, the specific date of the elections has not yet been determined.
on November 1, about 39,000 people gathered in the Serbian city of Novi Sad to mark the anniversary of the tragedy at the railway station.
Why the protest took place
Tensions in Belgrade rose after a large-scale rally in Novi Sad the day before, marking the anniversary of the tragedy at the local train station, where 16 people died a year ago. It was this event that triggered the ongoing student protests against the government of Vucic, who has been ruling the country for 13 years.
The protest in Belgrade was held in support of Diana Hrki, the mother of one of the victims of the tragedy, Stefan Hrki. She went on a hunger strike near the parliament, next to the tent city of Vucic’s supporters, which has been there since March. Similar actions were also held in Novi Sad and a number of other cities.
The protesters accuse the authorities of corruption and nepotism during the reconstruction of the station, which, in their opinion, led to violations of safety rules and the collapse of the concrete structure. The HMRC is demanding that those responsible for the deaths of 16 people be brought to justice, that detained activists be released, and that early parliamentary elections be held.
According to local media, in recent months, Serbian authorities have increased pressure on the protest movement: hundreds of demonstrators have been detained and rallies have been dispersed by force. The pro-government media call student activists “terrorists” and accuse them of provoking violence.
