Fifth Regular Press Conference of the Republic Electoral Commission

17 December 2023

The Republic Electoral Commission held its fifth regular press conference on 17 December 2023, at 5.05 pm where the Director of the Republic Statistical Office Miladin Kovacevic reported the voter turnout, stating that, by 4 pm on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, without Kosovo-Metohija, 42.36% of the total number of registered voters had taken the vote. 41.87% of eligible citizens had taken the vote in the region of Vojvodina, 42.43% in the region of Sumadija and Western Serbia, 42.64% in the region of Southern and Eastern Serbia and 42.88% in the Belgrade region.

The Chairperson of the Republic Electoral Commission Vladimir Dimitrijevic stated that on the territory of the southern Serbian province, the Provisional institutions headed by Albin Kurti did not allow Serbian citizens to vote where they live, so the Commission had organised voting at 51 polling stations close to the administrative line with AP Kosovo-Metohija, in Vranje, Raska, Tutin and Kursumlija. According to the record of voter turnout from each polling station submitted to the Republic Electoral Commission by the coordinators for AP Kosovo-Metohija, over 18,500 voters had exercised their right to vote by 4 pm.

The Chairperson of the Republic Electoral Commission said that the voting was carried out smoothly at all polling stations and that the REC is investing full efforts to check all the reported irregularities. "It is important that the competent authorities, the police and the prosecutor's office, be informed of all the allegations regarding possible irregularities at the polling stations," said Dimitrijevic.

He particularly referred to the malicious claims that were placed on social networks, which concern the alleged deliberate power outage at four polling stations in Belgrade with the aim, as it was insinuated, of sabotaging the election process. Dimitrijevic emphasised that, after a prompt check, it was established that they have no basis, that is, they are completely incorrect.

The next press conference will be held at 7.05 pm.