Serbia holds extraordinary parliamentary election

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (C) waits in a queue outside a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 17, 2023. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

BELGRADE, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Polling stations are open as Serbia conducts extraordinary elections on Sunday, with citizens voting at parliamentary and local levels to decide state leadership for the next four years.

Polling stations, numbering 8,273 both within Serbia and abroad, opened early in the morning. A total of 18 political parties or coalitions are vying for 250 seats in the national parliament.

The political parties or coalitions securing the highest votes can engage in negotiations to shape the upcoming government.

A key requirement for entry into the parliament is achieving a minimum threshold of 3 percent support. Pre-election polls indicate that the coalition aligned with the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, in power since 2012, is leading with approximately 40 percent support, while the pro-Western opposition coalition follows next with around 26 percent.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic casts his ballot at a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 17, 2023. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (C) waits in a queue outside a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 17, 2023. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic casts his ballot at a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 17, 2023. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks to the media after casting his ballot at a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 17, 2023. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)