Serbia's ruling populists say weekend elections were fair despite international criticism, protests

Serbia’s ruling populists are insisting that weekend snap elections were free and fair despite criticism from international observers who noted multiple irregularities and unjust conditions during the vote

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbia's ruling populists insisted on Tuesday that weekend snap elections were free and fair despite criticism from international observers who noted multiple irregularities and unjust conditions for parties during the vote.

Political tensions in Serbia soared over the snap parliamentary and local election on Sunday. Several thousand people rallied on Monday to protest alleged fraud at the ballot for municipal authorities in Belgrade, the capital. More protests are planned Tuesday.

Early results showed victory of President Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party in both ballots. But its main opponents, the Serbia Against Violence alliance, say they were robbed of a win in Belgrade.

Opposition leaders said they will not recognize the result in Belgrade, called protests and demanded that the vote be annulled and held again. The populists rejected the claims.

“We are very happy how the election day went,” Milos Vucevic, the leader of the right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, said on pro-government TV Prva on Tuesday morning. “It (election) can set an example for many other countries.”