Serbia prepares for presidential election

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbian voters will head to the polls on Sunday in a presidential election which will shape the country for the next four years.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, former Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj and Serbian nationalist Dveri Movement leader Bosko Obradovic are running.

Nearly seven million voters will decide the new president from among a total of 11 candidates, according to the State Election Commission (RIK).

According to polls, Vucic -- nominated by an alliance led by the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) -- is expected to win the election in the first round with more than 50 per cent of the vote.

Jankovic is the closest rival to Vucic with an estimated 12 percent support.

According to polling data, the youngest candidate -- Luka Maksimovic -- is in third place having based his campaign on criticism of the current political system.

Polls also suggest voter turnout will be higher than in 2016’s general election.

The president of Serbia -- directly elected for five-year terms -- has largely a symbolic position but Vucic’s campaign has already suggested a change in the nature of the post.

One Vucic campaign video tells a story of two pilots, symbolizing the prime minister and the president, who argue about the direction of the plane, causing passengers to panic.

Vucic then says: "The governance of our country, just like this airplane, has been entrusted to two persons. The president and the prime minister. If these two men lead the country in different directions, we will not be able to maintain our present stable course."

- Russian support

After campaigning, if one of the candidates in the first round is unable to secure more than half of the vote, the election goes to a second round.

In the second round, the two candidates with the most votes from the first round will face off against each other. The candidate who receives the most votes in the second round wins.

However, Vucic seems on course to win in the first round, after being backed by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and EU figures.

During a recent Vucic visit to Moscow, Putin backed the Serbian premier.

“We are sure that in today's Serbia, in today's conditions, this election will be of the highest standard, and we wish good luck to the current authorities," a statement released by the Kremlin said.

Only hours before a media blackout period began on Thursday, Vucic's party said in a statement that Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban had offered "strong support" to Vucic's bid.

Current President Tomislav Nikolic's term ends on Friday.

Serbia is currently an EU candidate country but has opposed the implementation of sanctions against Russia.

The new president will be expected to deal with the current migrant crisis. There are currently about 7,000 migrants in Serbia, waiting for Hungary or Croatia to let them enter EU territory.