Electoral roll up to date, ghost voter claims untrue - ministry

BELGRADE - In an official statement, Serbia's Ministry of Public Administration and Self-Government on Monday reiterated "clearly and unequivocally" that the Unified Electoral Roll was one of the most up-to-date records in the Republic of Serbia and more orderly than ever, and noted that claims about the existence of ghost voters were absolutely untrue and represented blanket allegations.

It said its statement came amid violent demonstrations by certain opposition parties and on a day when supporters of Serbia Against Violence leader Dragan Djilas had begun a blockade of the ministry's building.

Since the establishment of the Unified Electoral Roll in 2012, full control, accuracy and currency of data has been ensured, the ministry said.

Minister Aleksandar Martinovic said that, irrespective of the will freely expressed by the people in the December 17 elections, the coalition's leaders aimed to take power in Serbia by force and completely alter the country's domestic and, especially, foreign policy under the diktat of certain international centres of power.

As President Aleksandar Vucic has said, they want to turn Serbia into a "puppet on strings," Martinovic said.

Earlier in the day, a group of students gathered outside the ministry's building in central Belgrade to demand that electoral rolls be reviewed and alleged electoral irregularities examined.