Belgrade, Serbia

Serbia police on Sunday (Dec 24) reportedly used excessive force to disperse opposition protesters who tried to force their way into the capital’s city council building.

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Police in Belgrade intervened after the protesters turned violent, smashing windows of the city hall. The riot police used pepper spray to repel the opposition leaders.

Opposition parties have raised concerns over alleged fraud in last week’s general elections where the ruling party led by President Aleksandar Vucic emerged victorious.

Belgrade has been witnessing massive opposition protests ever since. However, Sunday’s were the first one to turn violent. There were no reports of injuries.

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President Vucic has termed these protests an attempt to overthrow the government orchestrated from abroad. At least 35 people have been arrested so far.

“This was an attempted violent takeover of the state institutions of the Republic of Serbia,” Vucic told the pro-government Pink TV.

Statement from opposition leaders 

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Opposition parties say the elections were manipulated, a claim dismissed as “rubbish and lies” by the president.

Domestic and international observers have also flagged “irregularities” in the elections, amidst claims of ballot box stuffing and vote buying.

Watch: Serbia's ruling party claims absolute victory with 47% of votes

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The observers also noted unjust conditions for opposition candidates due to media bias, abuse of public resources and the president's dominance during the campaign.

The opposition leaders blamed Sunday’s violence on agents provocateurs.

Also read: Serbian parliamentary poll: President Vucic claims his SNS party has won elections

Sofija Mandic, a lawyer, told those assembled that Mr Vucic should "hand over power peacefully". The government was "usurping" power, she added.

The opposition had high hopes of defeating the incumbent president in the elections, which was eventually won by Vucic’s party with a majority.

Several opposition figures have also gone on hunger strike.

"Vucic stole thousands of votes," Marinika Tepic, one of the hunger strikers, said at Sunday's protest.

Election Commission’s response

Amidst claims of large-scale irregularities, Serbia’s election commission on Wednesday said it will be re-running elections on at least 30 polling stations, out of 8,000 nationwide.

The political turmoil in Serbia, a nation hopeful of joining the European Union (EU), has also attracted reactions from key European capitals.

Berlin said that allegations of electoral misconduct were "unacceptable".

(With inputs from agencies)