Serbian government proposes changes to law on local elections

N1/ilustracija

The Serbian government wants the law on local elections changed to define the time frame to call those elections.

Under current law, elections for local (municipal and city) councils have to be, at the latest, 30 days before the end of the term in office of the local councils. The law adds that the elections have to be held within a period of no less than 45 and no more than 60 days from the date that they were called.  

The government wants the law changed to say that local elections have to be called at least 45 days before the end of the term in office.  

A statement from the December 24 cabinet meeting said that the government feels that “the proposed solution allows for greater flexibility (than current solutions) in regard to setting the deadline to call elections (at least 45 days before the end of term in office of the local councilors) and in setting the date of local elections which can be useful and of practical importance in certain political circumstances”.  

Regular local elections in Serbia should be held in the first half of next year. The authorities have indicated that they would be held on the same date as parliamentary elections which President Aleksandar Vucic said would be held either on April 26 or May 3.