Socialist International

BELGRADE - The coalition gathered around the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) received the most coverage in news broadcasts on televisions across Serbia - 20.16 percent, ahead of the coalition led by the Democratic Party (DS) with 16.51 percent, and the one gathered around Boris Tadic and his New Democratic Party (NDS) with 14.05 percent, the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) stated in a report

The government was pondering on Friday how to correct a mistake in Parliament that saw a bill passed on Thursday even though it had not received the majority of the votes.

Belgrade goes to the polls on March 16 with the ruling Serbian Progressive Party tipped to take control of the capital while the Democratic Party seems likely to lose the city for the first time in 14 years.

A poll conducted by Faktor Plus agency in February suggested that about 42.5 per cent of voters will support the Progressives, while about 17.4 will vote for the Democrats.

Svetlin Tanchev, an MP formerly from the largest opposition group GERB, will represent the newly-established party Bulgaria Without Censorship.

Although he has not joined the party, he is expected to stand for its interests in the Bulgarian Parliament starting from Tuesday, Dnevnik.bg reports.

The threat of a boycott was unleashed after the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, on Tuesday voted against six EU-backed election laws aimed at curbing abuses in the electoral process.

The laws mainly address suspected irregularities in voter lists and abuses in the use of budgetary funds for party purposes during elections.