Serbia's Ruling Party Boycotts Opening Of Belgrade City Assembly

The start of the Belgrade City Assembly's new term was postponed to March 1 after President Aleksandar Vucic's national ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) boycotted the 110-member body's constitutive session on February 19, preventing a quorum following disputed elections. Members of the opposition Serbia Against Violence coalition that alleged widescale fraud in the December 17 voting called it a "big victory for the opposition" and evidence that the Progressives can't bargain their way to a majority in Belgrade. Credible reports suggested voters had been bused in from outside Serbia, particularly in the capital where pollsters predicted a close race. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.