RIK: 18.89 pct of polling stations processed, SNS won 48.91

BELGRADE - Based on the ballots from 18.89 percent of polling stations processed by the Republican Electoral Commission, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) received 48.91 percent of the vote in Sunday's early parliamentary elections, taking 162 seats in the parliament, while the SPS-PUPS-JS mustered 14.73 percent of the vote, or 49 seats.

According to the preliminary data, the list led by New Democratic Party (NDS) leader Boris Tadic won 6.03 percent of the vote or 20 seats, RIK President Dejan Djurdjevic told a news conference.

The minority lists of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) and the Party of Democratic Action of Sandzak (SDA of Sandzak), won 3.44 and 1.41 percent, respectively. This means that the SVM has 11 and the SDA four seats for now.

The list of the Riza Halimi’s Party for Democratic Action (PDD) had 1.30 percent of the vote, securing four seats.

Based on the ballots processed by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS)so far, other electoral lists won no seats, Djurdjevic said, adding that RIK does not use projections, but rather presents data as raw facts based on the processed material.

Voter turnout was 55.26 percent and 2.69 percent of the ballots were invalid, Djurdjevic said.

When it comes to the vote in Kosovo-Metohija, it took place at all 90 polling places. The ballot boxes from there are now sealed and on their way to Vranje and Raska, central Serbia, which is being facilitated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Djurdjevic said that the electoral process was fair, and all polling places, save one in the southwestern Serbian city of Novi Pazar, were opened.

Only minor irregularities were reported...