Bilcik again on Serbian elections: Concern about many complaints, irregularities

Bilcik issued the following statement:

“In light of the numerous misinterpretations of my statements after the early parliamentary elections in Serbia, I would like to clarify some issues in order to avoid further spread of incomplete information.

The 17 December early parliamentary elections took place in the midst of a socially and politically divided landscape. Although the elections were technically well-administered and took place without any major unrest, the international observers reported numerous irregularities.

These included the misuse of public resources, the lack of separation between the official functions and campaign activities, intimidation and pressure on voters, including cases of vote buying.

In addition, REM was passive throughout the campaign and its representatives did not communicate with international observers.

As the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur for Serbia, I have always called on the Serbian authorities to fully address the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations on the conduct of elections. There are several paragraphs addressing the conduct of elections in my latest report on Serbia adopted by a vast majority of MEPs in May 2023.

Specifically, the paragraph 24 calls on Serbia to address fully the outstanding OSCE recommendations, in particular competing candidates’ access to the media, the enhanced transparency and accountability of campaign finance, and measures to tackle pressure on voters and the misuse of administrative resources, in consultation with expert CSOs and well ahead of the next elections, in order to prevent irregularities and any fraud, and guarantee the democratic functioning of the country.

I am truly concerned about the number of complaints and irregularities that are being reported. In order to evaluate these elections in detail, we need a final report of the OSCE mission.

It is imperative that all electoral deficiencies and complaints are genuinely addressed and resolved through Serbia’s institutions. We count on their full commitment to cooperate with international organisations.

Fixing both particular irregularities on election day and the systemic deficiencies in electoral framework remains in the interest of everyone - the state, the voters, and Serbia's progress on the way to the EU.”