TRANSCRIPT
Police in Serbia are cracking down on mass protests amid claims the country's latest general election was rigged.
The country's parliamentary and local elections were held on December 17, in which President Aleksandar Vucic's party said it secured a commanding victory.
But the main opposition coalition, united under the message, "Serbia against violence," denounced what it said was electoral fraud, alleging that voters from neighbouring Bosnia had been allowed to cast ballots illegally in the capital.
Thousands have since gathered outside Belgrades's police headquarters.
And dozens have been detained after trying to storm the city council.
Opposition candidate for Belgrade, Vladimir Obradovic, says they won't be letting up anytime soon.
"This can last for one day, three days, thirty or three hundred days, but we will not recognize the (election) theft, and the electoral will of the citizens of Belgrade will be defended! Thank you!"
Protests including road blocks have been organised nine days in a row aimed at annulling the results and holding a brand new election.
The country's electoral commission has since decided to hold a partial re-run on December the 30th.
But the re-run will only affect parts of the country as it's set to be conducted at 30 out of Serbia's more than 8,000 polling booths.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic insists the election was fair.
While Russia, one of Serbia's allies, says foreign agents are provoking civil unrest.
But opposition activists, like this protester Nikola Jelic, are accusing the government of unfairly claiming victory.
"We will continue with protests, especially because it is our duty, because we cannot give up like this. If we give up this kind of election theft, then, I think, we will never get rid of this government or anyone potentially who could one day take over the power and think they can steal elections as well. And especially we have an obligation because of the people who were arrested and are now being prosecuted in this Stalinist way. I think we are fighting for their release as well."
Serbia's biggest opposition coalition says it will boycott the election re-runs.
They say there is "no point in voting while deputies are on hunger strike due to proven electoral fraud, political dissenters are being arrested and students beaten by police and apprehended".
One such deputy is Marinka Tepic, a leading figure in the "Serbia against violence" camp.
She's vowing to push on with a hunger strike, despite medical advice against it.
"We demand that the elections be annulled and that new elections be held under new election conditions. That is, the conditions outlined in the law, since we have lawlessness here and daily violations of the Constitution and the law. Therefore, what the Serbian President (Aleksandar Vucic) is trying to spin, especially in the city of Belgrade, so that the elections could be repeated because there is no majority, is a lie and his attempt to get out of this political crisis, and we ask that the elections are repeated, that is, a completely new one should be held due to election theft because then that would imply different election conditions. We cannot go for new elections with the same conditions."
Official results show President Vucic's right-wing Serbian Progressive Party ((SNS)) as having earned roughly 46 per cent of votes in the parliamentary elections, while the leading opposition coalition secured 23.5 per cent.
