Novi Sad police have detained Aziz Eminij, the lead candidate for the electoral list ‘United Ashcalije for Serbia,’ based on suspicions of vote buying during the ongoing elections for the National Council of the Ashkali national minority.

The detention took place in the vicinity of a polling station located near Slana bara, according to members of the Bravo movement, who reported the incident to N1 news agency. Authorities suspect that Eminij was observed transporting voters to and from the polling booth, a practice alleged to have been accompanied by the purchase of their votes.

Separately, the portal Razglas News reported that election observers in central Novi Sad noted suspicious activity at a polling station on Vojvođanskih brigada street. Observers stated that they witnessed groups of citizens arriving at the voting location in coordinated groups, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in that specific location.

These incidents occur as Serbia conducts elections for the members of national councils for national minorities. The agency Vreme reported that the country has fewer than one thousand polling stations for this specific electoral event. A total of 481,789 citizens registered on the special electoral rolls of their respective national minorities are entitled to vote in this process.

Police and election authorities have not yet issued detailed official statements regarding the specific charges filed against the detained candidate or the broader investigation into the reported irregularities in Novi Sad. The detention of a high-profile candidate on the eve of or during the voting period has drawn significant attention to the conduct of the minority council elections.

Sources (learn more):

vreme.com — https://vreme.com/vesti/priveden-prvi-na-listi-ujedinjene-askalije-za-srbiju-sumnja-se-na-kupovinu-glasova/