After months of mass demonstrations that have shaken President Aleksandar Vucic's rule, students in Serbia have called for early elections. The Associated Press reported, News.bg reports.
In a statement posted on social media, the students stressed that early voting is the only way out of the country's deep political crisis. The tension was sparked by the tragedy at the Novi Sad train station, where the collapse of a canopy at the recently renovated terminal killed 16 people.
The incident sparked a wave of public outrage and months of protests that have attracted significant support from civil society. The protesters are demanding justice and the rule of law.
“Corruption in government is so deeply rooted that state institutions can no longer function independently. We believe that democracy is the only right mechanism to deal with a crisis of this magnitude,“ the students said.
Soon elections would require the dissolution of parliament. However, the leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and former prime minister Miloš Vučević rejected the possibility, calling it “catastrophic” for the country.
President Aleksandar Vučić, who has been criticized for restricting democratic freedoms, accused the protesters of organizing a “color revolution“ under external influence from the West.