Vucic wins Serbian presidential elections: Preliminary results

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Belgrade, April 5 (IANS) Serbia's current President Aleksandar Vucic convincingly won presidential elections, while Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won the most votes in parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results published by the Serbian Republic Electoral Commission (RIK).

According to RIK's report on Monday evening, after counting 8,030 out of 8,255 polling stations, Vucic won 58.59 per cent of the votes in the presidential elections, which enabled him to claim victory in the first round, ahead of the second-ranked candidate, former Chief of the Serbian General Staff Zdravko Ponos (18.32 per cent).

Moreover, SNS won 42.97 per cent of votes for the parliament, which translates to 119 out of 250 MP seats, and enables Serbia's ruling party to form the new government together with smaller coalition partners, Xinhua news agency reported.

SNS's ruling coalition partner Serbian Socialist Party (SPS) won 11.5 per cent of the votes (32 MP seats) and will likely partake in the new parliament majority together with the Alliance of Hungarians of Vojvodina (6 MP seats).

The opposition coalition "United for the Victory of Serbia" won the second most votes in parliamentary elections with 13.57 per cent of votes (38 MPs).

Serbia held regular presidential and local elections on Sunday, along with extraordinary parliamentary elections

Vucic on Sunday already declared victory for himself and his party, promising peace and stability, good neighbour relations, the continuation of EU integration, and strengthening of the country's traditional partnerships such as those with China and Russia.

RIK is obliged to announce the final results 96 hours after the closing of polling stations.

--IANS

int/khz/