TIG Post

Tag: election fraud

  • Belgrade protests escalate: Tear gas, arrests amid election fraud allegations

    Belgrade protests escalate: Tear gas, arrests amid election fraud allegations


    Belgrade police dispersed protesters with tear gas amid claims of electoral fraud.

    Clashes erupted as demonstrators tried to storm city hall, leading to window smashing.

    Opposition accuses police of heavy-handed tactics during Sunday’s protests.

    Allegations of election rigging by the ruling party were dismissed by President Vucic.

    Green-Left Front’s Radomir Lazovic alleges police brutality, including beatings.

    Over 30 arrests were made, with eight officers injured, says Police Chief Ivica Ivkovic.

    Ivkovic warns arrests might increase, citing attempts to disrupt Serbia’s constitutional order.

    Violent protests break out following a series of peaceful post-election demonstrations.

    Serbia Against Violence coalition members attempted city hall entry, faced police resistance.

    Opposition suspects instigators in the crowd led to escalated police response.

    Lawyer Sofija Mandic urges President Vucic to relinquish power, accusing the government of power abuse.

    Protesters allege the government orchestrated the influx of thousands to manipulate Belgrade’s city election results, demanding a re-run. Despite irregularities reported by observers, President Vucic’s party retained parliamentary power. Accusations include ballot box tampering and vote purchasing. In a Sunday address, Vucic attributed the unrest to foreign interference.

    “Those who swore to fight against violence just confirmed once again that they are the real thugs,” Mr Vucic said.

    The opposition aimed to thwart the ruling party’s majority and secure control of Belgrade, but official results, immediately contested as fraudulent, revealed their failure to achieve either objective.

    In response, they initiated daily protests, with seven opposition figures resorting to a hunger strike. Marinika Tepic, one of the hunger strikers, accused Vucic of stealing thousands of votes during Sunday’s protest.

    The electoral commission announced a re-run in about 30 polling stations out of 8,000 nationwide on Wednesday.

    Germany criticized the electoral misconduct allegations, deeming them “unacceptable” for a country aspiring to join the EU.

  • Aung San Suu Kyi’s prison sentence increased to 26 years after latest fraud sentencing

    The 77-year-old Nobel laureate, who played a leading role in the movement against military rule, is accused of at least 18 crimes, ranging from bribery to election fraud, with potential sentences totaling about 190 years if convicted.

    A court convicted former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of taking part in election fraud, and she was given a three-year prison extension.

    The sentencing adds to previous convictions that now leave her with a 26-year total prison term, a legal official has said.

    The 77-year-old Nobel laureate, a figurehead of opposition to military rule, faces charges for at least 18 offences ranging from graft to election violations, carrying combined maximum terms of nearly 190 years.

    Demonstrators hold placards with pictures of Suu Kyi as they protest against the military coup in Yangon
    Image:Demonstrators hold placards with pictures of Suu Kyi as they protest against the military coup in Yangon

    Graft is defined as the act of taking advantage of your political position or government job by taking money or property in dishonest or fraudulent ways.

    Suu Kyi has called the accusations against her absurd and denied any wrongdoing.

    She is being held in solitary confinement in the capital, Naypyitaw, and her trials have been conducted in closed courts.

    The latest charges were related to allegations Suu Kyi accepted bribes from a businessman, said the source, who
    declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

    Suu Kyi received three-year jail sentences on two charges, to be served concurrently.

    Opponents of the military say the charges against Suu Kyi are aimed at blocking her from ever getting involved in politics
    again or trying to challenge the military’s grip on power since last year’s coup.

    The sentence also imperils the survival of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party following the government’s explicit threats to dissolve it before a new election the military has promised will take place in 2023.