Serbia's Ruling Party Boycotts Opening Of Belgrade City Assembly

The ruling Serbian Progressive Party boycotted the constitutive session of the Belgrade City Assembly on February 19.

The start of the Belgrade City Assembly's new term was postponed to March 1 after President Aleksandar Vucic's national ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) boycotted the 110-member body's constitutive session on February 19, preventing a quorum following disputed elections. Members of the opposition Serbia Against Violence coalition that alleged widescale fraud in the December 17 voting called it a "big victory for the opposition" and evidence that the Progressives can't bargain their way to a majority in Belgrade. Credible reports suggested voters had been bused in from outside Serbia, particularly in the capital where pollsters predicted a close race. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.