Belgrade, 19 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Several thousand supporters of the Serbian opposition demonstrated in Belgrade on Monday evening against suspected fraud in Sunday's local elections.

The participants in the rally chanted "Thieves, thieves!" and "We will not have our votes stolen!", a dpa reporter observed.

In front of the electoral commission building, opposition leaders Marinika Tepić and Miroslav Aleksić announced that they would go on an indefinite hunger strike until the results of the Belgrade election were cancelled.

The right-wing Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of the powerful President Aleksandar Vučić won victories in the parliamentary and local elections in many cities, including Belgrade.

In Belgrade, however, the margin of success of the presidential party was extremely narrow. Even though it also became the strongest voting force there, it may not have enough partners to elect the next mayor in the city assembly.

The opposition, however, believes even this narrow victory was only achieved through massive fraud. Tens of thousands of voters from the ruling party who do not live in Belgrade are said to have illegally cast a vote for the city assembly due to the organized registration of bogus residences.

The media reported on buses that took people from the Serbian part of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Belgrade Arena, where they are said to have voted. Vučić and the SNS deny the allegations.