Serbia’s populists seek to further tighten grip on power in tense election

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Serbia’s is seeking to further tighten his grip on power in an election that has been marred by reports of major irregularities during a tense campaign (Darko Vojinovic/AP)

Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic is seeking to further tighten his grip on power in an election on Sunday that has been marred by reports of major irregularities during a tense campaign.

The main contest in the parliamentary and local elections is expected to be between Mr Vucic’s governing right-wing Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, and a centrist coalition that is trying to undermine the populists who have ruled the troubled Balkan state since 2012.