Election silence begins ahead of Sunday's local polls

BELGRADE - Election silence ahead of Sunday's local elections in Belgrade and 66 self-government units across Serbia began at midnight.

It ends on Sunday 8 pm, when polling stations will close.

Publication of estimated election results, public presentations of electoral candidates and programmes as well as public calls to voters to vote or not to vote for certain electoral lists are forbidden during election silence and on election day itself.

Publication of projections of electoral results, public presentations of candidates and their electoral programmes in media outlets or at public gatherings, as well as calls to voters to vote, or not to vote, for certain electoral lists of candidates, are prohibited during electoral silence.

Displaying symbols of political parties and other propaganda material at polling stations and within 50 metres of them is also prohibited.

Violation of the rules of election silence is punishable by fines.

On the other hand, campaigning on social media networks is not regulated by law and no penalties apply.

In late April, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic called local elections in 66 local self-government units for June 2, when elections for the Belgrade City Assembly and municipal assemblies in the capital will be held as well.

Previously, following an agreement between the ruling majority and the opposition, the Law on Local Elections was amended to allow the Belgrade local elections and the remaining local elections in the country (i.e. local polls that were not held in December) to be held on the same day.

Elections for city assemblies will be held in Valjevo, Vrsac, Zrenjanin, Jagodina, Kikinda, Nis, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Pozarevac, Sombor, Sremska Mitrovica, Subotica, Uzice and Cacak.

Elections for municipal assemblies will take place in Ada, Aleksinac, Alibunar, Apatin, Arilje, Bac, Backa Palanka, Backa Topola, Backi Petrovac, Bela Crkva, Beocin, Becej, Boljevac, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vrbas, Vrnjacka Banja, Gornji Milanovac, Zabalj, Zitiste, Ivanjica, Indjija, Irig, Kanjiza, Kovacica, Kovin, Mali Idjos, Nova Varos, Nova Crnja, Novi Becej, Novi Knezevac, Opovo, Odzaci, Pecinci, Plandiste, Presevo, Raska, Ruma, Svilajnac, Svrljig, Senta, Sjenica, Srbobran, Sremski Karlovci, Stara Pazova, Surdulica, Temerin, Titel, Tutin, Cajetina, Coka and Sid.

The head of the City of Belgrade Interim Authority Aleksandar Sapic has called elections in the capital's 17 urban municipalities - Cukarica, Novi Beograd, Palilula, Rakovica, Savski venac, Stari grad, Vozdovac, Vracar, Zemun, Zvezdara, Barajevo, Grocka, Lazarevac, Mladenovac, Obrenovac, Sopot and Surcin.

Elections for the municipal assemblies of all five municipalities of Nis - Medijana, Palilula, Crveni krst, Pantelej and Niska banja - will also take place on Sunday, with municipal elections in the Pozarevac urban municipality of Kostolac to be held as well.