Vučić Concedes Defeat in Serbia's Election as Student-Chosen Candidates Head for a Majority

The full results of Sunday's snap parliamentary election in the European country of Serbia have not yet been published. Even so, the country's long-time ruler Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat. He said the way the final results are heading makes it clear that the opposition is going to win a majority.

Looking at the trend of the preliminary results, Vučić said the opposition alliance 'Student List' is set to win 135 to 140 seats, while his party may win around 105 seats. Serbia's parliament has 250 seats in total.

Noting that the final results had not yet come in, Aleksandar Vučić, 56, said: 'It is clear, we have lost this election.'

The Belgrade-based news agency Fonet reported that after Vučić's concession announcement, an emotional atmosphere developed at the Student List office, where supporters danced, sang and celebrated.

Student List candidate Radomir Saisic, in a speech at the alliance's election headquarters, said that in the preliminary results the candidates chosen by the students were definitely ahead in almost all centres. Radomir added: 'The students have won. The hope that justice, freedom and dignity will be ensured in Serbia has also won. Let a new chapter begin tonight.'

Aleksandar Vučić was elected the country's prime minister in 2012 as a candidate of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Since then he has dominated the country's politics as prime minister and president. There is no opportunity to run for a third term as president in Serbia, so Vučić had wanted to retain his grip on power through the parliamentary election — and that is where he faced his biggest challenge.

That challenge came from the country's young people and students. Angered by the death of 16 people when a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, the country's second largest city, young people took to the streets against corruption. The 'Student List' emerged from that anti-corruption movement, running for almost two years, and its chosen candidates are now on the way to a final victory.

According to the election commission, a record turnout was recorded in the election. By 6 p.m. the voter turnout had reached 64.9 percent — the highest voting rate there since the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992.

Jelena Vasiljevic, a researcher at the University of Belgrade, told Al Jazeera in an interview last Friday that the SNS definitely has a vote bank, but that there was a need to attract those who do not usually vote.

However, there were also allegations of intimidation and procedural flaws during voting. The independent election observation organisation Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) said that, observing 500 polling stations, its observers documented pressure on voters or election workers in about one-third of them, and failures to protect the secrecy of the vote were also seen. Another observer body, the Center for Free Elections and Democracy, said that by 5 p.m. it had received about 260 complaints of possible irregularities, including photographing ballot papers, group voting and complications in identity verification.

After Vučić conceded defeat, Serbians broke into celebration. The Belgrade sky filled with the light of colourful fireworks and thousands of people came down onto the main streets. Student List supporters drove around in cars, honking continuously in celebration. The slogan rose on the streets: 'Aleksandar has said goodbye.'

In a small park right in the centre of Belgrade, between the parliament building and the presidential palace, SNS supporters had camped in tents in a continuous sit-in for about 18 months. On Sunday night, crowds tore those tents down.