Serbia's populists look to further tighten grip on power in tense election

Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic is looking to further tighten his grip on power in an election that has been marred by reports of major irregularities during a tense campaign

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic is looking to further tighten his grip on power in an election on Sunday that has been marred by reports of major irregularities during a tense campaign.

The main contest in the parliamentary and local elections is expected to be between Vucic's governing right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, and a centrist coalition that is trying to undermine the populists who have ruled the troubled Balkan state since 2012.

The Serbia Against Violence opposition list is expected to mount the biggest challenge for the city council in Belgrade. An opposition victory in the capital would seriously dent Vucic’s hardline rule in the country, analysts say.

“Changes in Serbia have started and there is no force that can stop that,” said Dragan Djilas, the opposition coalition leader, after he voted in Belgrade. "We, as the strongest opposition list, will defend people’s will by all democratic means.”

Several right-wing groups, including pro-Russian parties and Socialists allied with Vucic are also running for control of the 250-seat parliament and local councils in some 60 cities and towns, as well as regional authorities in the northern Vojvodina province.