Putin’s Serb Ally Claims Landslide Win in Presidential Vote
- Almost complete results show Premier Vucic winning 55.1%
- Vucic avoids runoff, pledges new government in two months
A worker installs on a wall an electoral poster of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) top candidate for the presidential election and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on March 23, 2017. Serbia's strongman Aleksandar Vucic hopes to win presidential elections in the first round on April2, 2017, to strengthen his political power despite criticism from divided opposition accusing him of authoritarianism. / AFP PHOTO / OLIVER BUNIC (Photo credit should read OLIVER BUNIC/AFP/Getty Images)
Photographer: Oliver Bunic/AFP via Getty ImagesSerbia’s prime minister scored a landslide victory in a presidential election, opening the way for him to strengthen his grip on power as he juggles the nation’s goal of joining the European Union with forging deeper relations with Russia.
Aleksandar Vucic won 55.1 percent, with 92 percent of votes counted, according to results shown at the State Electoral Commission headquarters on Monday. He eclipsed second-place challenger Sasa Jankovic, a former ombudsman, who won 16.27 percent. Turnout was 54 percent. The premier, who will now shift to the more ceremonial presidential role, declared himself the winner and said a new government will be formed in two months.