Serbian students march on Belgrade for final rally before Sunday's election
Student protesters have walked from towns across Serbia toward Belgrade for a final rally on Thursday. Their list of candidates is running against Aleksandar Vucic's ruling party in Sunday's election. The vote is seen as the biggest test yet for the party.
Students and their backers have been walking from towns across Serbia toward Belgrade, bne IntelliNews reported. They plan a final campaign rally on Thursday. Serbia votes for a new parliament on Sunday, Oct. 25.
The marchers are set to meet at Slavija Square in central Belgrade, bne IntelliNews reported. The rally is called "Victory Calls." Groups left from Zajecar in the east on Oct. 16 and from Gornji Milanovac on Oct. 18. More set out from Valjevo, Sabac and Novi Sad in the days after.
The student movement began nearly two years ago, The Guardian and bne IntelliNews reported. A concrete canopy fell at the train station in Novi Sad on Nov. 1, 2024, and killed 16 people. The Guardian said no official has been held accountable.
The vote is expected to be the biggest test yet for the ruling party, bne IntelliNews reported. The Serbian Progressive Party is led by Aleksandar Vucic. Vucic quit as president in September to run for prime minister, according to The Guardian and bne IntelliNews.
The student list has 250 candidates, The Guardian reported. Most were put forward by university faculties. It is led by Ilija Srdanovic, a heart doctor and university professor, bne IntelliNews said. Its plan focuses on fighting corruption, free courts and more open public spending.
Polls have varied widely, The Guardian reported. A July survey by the Serbian group CRTA and Stanford University put the students at 45% and the ruling party at 36%. More recent polls in Serbia show the ruling party ahead. The Guardian said the opposition sees those pollsters as siding with the government.
Opposition parties and civic groups have raised concerns, bne IntelliNews said. They point to unequal media access, pressure on public workers and possible voting problems.
"We call for the election processes to end peacefully and with dignity," Srdanovic said, according to bne IntelliNews, citing Nova.rs.
What we know: Students are marching to Belgrade for a final rally before Sunday's parliamentary election.
What we don't: How the vote will turn out, and whether both sides will accept the result.
Where outlets agree The Guardian and bne IntelliNews both report that the student list is challenging Vucic's ruling party in Sunday's election after Vucic resigned as president to run for prime minister.
Where they differ The cited reports agree on the key facts so far.