Hundreds of protesters, primarily students, have taken to the streets of Serbia to dispute the outcome of recent elections in which populist leader Aleksandar Vucic's party emerged victorious. The demonstrations, centered around a major intersection in the capital, come ahead of a partial vote rerun scheduled for Saturday.

Opposition parties, including the coalition Serbia Against Violence, have alleged that fraudulent voting practices took place. They claim that ethnic-Serbian voters from neighboring Bosnia were allowed to vote illegally in Belgrade, and that supporters of President Vucic participated in the local elections by registering at fake addresses in the capital. These allegations have raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, with international observer groups reporting irregularities.

Under the banner of the Borba (Fight) movement, students have demanded that the election results be annulled and new votes be held. Several protesters even staged a sit-in at the major intersection close to government buildings. The use of the slogan "Euromaidan Serbia" draws parallels to the pro-European Union protests that took place in Ukraine in 2014.

On Friday evening, several hundred more protesters joined the students after gathering outside the state electoral commission. Approximately 30 polling stations were set to hold rerun elections on Saturday. President Vucic vehemently denies the allegations of vote rigging and has accused the opposition of inciting violence in an attempt to overthrow the government at the behest of foreign interests.

The official results of the parliamentary elections show that Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) emerged with roughly 46% of the votes, while the leading opposition coalition secured 23.5%. Despite Serbia's formal aspirations to join the European Union, the country has maintained close ties with Russia and refused to join Western sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian officials have expressed their full support for President Vucic and dismissed allegations of impropriety in the elections, asserting that the vote was free and fair. The involvement of Russia in the situation has further heightened tensions as the student-led protests continue to gather momentum in Serbia.

As the demonstrations persist, the outcome of the partial vote rerun on Saturday will determine the trajectory of this political crisis. Both supporters and opponents of President Vucic eagerly await a resolution that addresses the concerns raised regarding the integrity of the electoral process.