The US intends to work with Serbia to strengthen democratic governance and the rule of legislation, guarantee regional stability, and speed up Serbia’s progress towards membership within the European Union, the State Division mentioned Tuesday.
“The long run for Serbia is with the European Union and with the USA. Not with Russia,” emphasised the official consultant of the international ministry.
The announcement got here after 1000’s of individuals gathered in central Belgrade final Sunday to demand the annulment of the outcomes of every week in the past’s early parliamentary and native elections, which worldwide observers discovered had been unfair.
The US welcomed the preliminary findings of the OSCE Workplace for Democratic Establishments and Human Rights (ODIHR) election commentary mission. Whereas noting that Serbian voters got political alternate options within the December 17 elections, Washington expressed concern concerning the ODIHR’s findings that the elections had been marked by quite a few procedural irregularities, stress on authorities officers and misuse of presidency sources.
In keeping with the ODIHR’s findings, these elements, together with the systemic benefit of the ruling get together, created unfair electoral situations.
The US “urge Serbia to work with the OSCE to deal with these issues,” the State Division mentioned in an announcement. “Claims of irregularities reported each by OSCE and different election commentary groups needs to be investigated.”
Allow us to recall that thirty-eight demonstrators had been detained throughout and after the protest that befell in Serbia on Monday; eight law enforcement officials had been injured.
Demonstrators broke home windows within the metropolis corridor, after which police used pepper spray.
The US condemned violence towards election authorities, journalists and accredited observers and known as on events to report instances of election irregularities by means of acceptable authorized channels.
“The legitimacy of democratic processes relies on transparency and the readiness of all events, whether or not winners or losers, to respect the desire of the individuals expressed within the elections,” the State Division mentioned in an announcement.
Serbian authorities say the elections had been honest.
The SNS acquired 46.72% of the votes in these elections. These preliminary outcomes had been introduced earlier by the state election fee. The opposition alliance ‘Serbia Towards Violence’ took second place within the elections (23.56%), and the Socialist Celebration of Serbia got here third (6.56%).