Serbia’s ruling SNS ahead in snap election, exit polls show
Al Jazeera
Ruling populists claim sweeping victory in the parliamentary election, which was marred by reports of significant irregularities.
Exit polls say the ruling right-wing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of President Aleksandar Vucic is in the lead in a snap parliamentary election widely regarded as a referendum on his government.
According to projections by the pollsters Ipsos and CeSID on Sunday evening, the SNS won 47 percent of the vote and is expected to hold about 130 seats in the 250-member assembly.
The main opposition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) alliance, a centrist coalition vying to unseat the populists who have ruled the Balkan state since 2012, won about 23 percent of votes, said the projections.
The projections are based on a partial count of a representative sample of polling stations. Official results are set to be announced late on Monday.
The election did not include the presidency but governing authorities backed by the dominant pro-government media have run the campaign as a referendum on Vucic.
