General elections were held in the Yugoslav province of Serbia on 21 September 1997, to elect the president and members of the National Assembly. With no presidential candidate receiving over 50% of the vote in the first round, a second round was held on 5 October.[1] Running on a platform of nationalism and neoliberal economic reforms, Vojislav Šešelj of the Serbian Radical Party received the most votes in the runoff. However, voter turnout was only 49%, below the required 50%.[1][2][3] As a result, the elections were annulled, and fresh elections were scheduled for December.[1][4]

1997 Serbian general election

Presidential election
← 1992 21 September 1997 (first round)
5 October 1997 (second round)
Dec 1997 →
Turnout48.95% (Decrease 15.20 pp)
 
Candidate Vojislav Šešelj Zoran Lilić
Party SRS SPS
Popular vote 1,733,859 1,691,354
Percentage 50.62% 49.38%

President before election

Dragan Tomić (acting)
SPS

Elected President

Election results annulled
Dragan Tomić (acting)
SPS

Parliamentary election
← 1993 21 September 1997 2000 →
Turnout
57.37% (Decrease 3.93 pp)
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
SPS–JUL–ND Slobodan Milošević 35.70 110 −18
SRS Vojislav Šešelj 29.26 82 +43
SPO Vuk Drašković 19.99 45 +8
KV Sándor Páll 2.83 4 −1
DA Nebojša Čović 1.53 1 New
VMSZ József Kasza 1.28 4 New
LZS Sulejman Ugljanin 1.25 3 New
DKPB Ramadan Ameti 0.36 1 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Results of the presidential election by district
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after
Mirko Marjanović
SPS
Mirko Marjanović
SPS

In the National Assembly elections, the Socialist Party of SerbiaYugoslav LeftNew Democracy coalition emerged as the largest in the Assembly, winning 110 of the 250 seats.[5]

The elections were boycotted by several major opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Civic Alliance of Serbia, which claimed that the elections would not be held under fair conditions.[1][6] Most Kosovo Albanians also boycotted the elections, who made up around 17% of the population, due to increasing ethnic tensions in Kosovo.[7]

Electoral lists

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Following electoral lists are electoral lists that received seats in the National Assembly after the 1997 election:[8]

# Ballot name Representative Main ideology Political position
1
Slobodan Milošević Socialism Left-wing
2
  • Serbian Radical Party – dr Vojislav Šešelj
  • SRS
Vojislav Šešelj Ultranationalism Far-right
3
  • Serbian Renewal Movement – Vuk Drašković
  • SPO
Vuk Drašković Conservatism Centre-right
4
Nenad Čanak Vojvodina autonomism Centre-left
5
  • Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians
  • VMSZ/SVM
József Kasza Minority politics Centre-left
6
Sulejman Ugljanin Minority politics Right-wing
7
  • Democratic Alternative (DA) – Peasant Party of Serbia (SSS) – Pensioners Party of Serbia (PPS) – Nebojša Čović
  • DA, SSS, PPS
Nebojša Čović Social democracy Centre-left
8
  • Democratic Coalition Preševo–Bujanovac
  • DKPB
Ramadan Ameti Minority politics Centre

Results

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Presidential

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CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Zoran LilićLeft Coalition (SPSJULND)1,474,92437.121,691,35449.38
Vojislav ŠešeljSerbian Radical Party1,126,94028.361,733,85950.62
Vuk DraškovićSerbian Renewal Movement852,80821.46
Mile IsakovVojvodina Coalition111,1662.80
Vuk ObradovićSocial Democracy100,5232.53
Nebojša ČovićDemocratic AlternativeSSS93,1332.34
Sulejman UgljaninList for Sandžak (SDA S)68,4461.72
Milisav BankovićWorkers' Party of Yugoslavia49,1581.24
Milan ParoškiPeople's Party27,1000.68
Miodrag VidojkovićIndependent14,1050.36
Predrag VuletićLiberal Democratic Party11,4630.29
Dragan ĐorđevićParty of Citizens of Serbia10,6840.27
Milan MladenovićRevival Coalition10,1120.25
Đorđe DrljačićIndependent9,4300.24
Branko ČičićNatural Law Party7,0970.18
Gvozden SakićIndependent3,2930.08
Radomir TukmanovićProgressive Party2,6470.07
Total3,973,029100.003,425,213100.00
Valid votes3,973,02996.233,425,21397.05
Invalid/blank votes155,8603.77104,2232.95
Total votes4,128,889100.003,529,436100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,187,93657.447,210,55748.95
Source: RIK

Parliamentary

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Left Coalition (SPSJULND)1,418,03635.70110–18
Serbian Radical Party1,162,21629.2682+43
Serbian Renewal Movement793,98819.9945+8
Vojvodina Coalition (LSVNSSRV)112,5892.834+3
Social Democracy105,0682.640New
Democratic AlternativePeasants PartyPensioners' Party60,8551.531+1
Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians50,9601.284New
List for Sandžak49,4861.253New
Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians16,9860.430New
Democratic Fellowship of Vojvodina Hungarians16,8120.420–5
New Communist Party of Yugoslavia16,2220.4100
Radical Party "Nikola Pasic"15,9860.400New
People's Party15,2320.3800
Democratic Coalition Preševo-Bujanovac14,1790.361New
Natural Law Party8,9570.230New
League of Communists of Yugoslavia in Serbia5,7600.140New
Party of Serbian Unity5,5900.1400
Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina5,3750.1400
Vojvodina's Party4,7900.120New
Party of Serbian Citizens4,5080.110New
Rebirth Coalition – Foreign Currency Savers Party3,7270.090New
Alliance of Subotica Citizens3,6470.090New
Sandžak Coalition3,6060.090New
Serbian Resistance Movement – Democratic Movement3,2990.080New
Pensioners Democratic Party of Serbia2,9560.070New
Christian Democratic Movement of Vojvodina Hungarians2,7020.070New
Rebirth Coalition2,6520.070New
Serbian Peasants' Party2,1970.0600
Civic Movement of Vojvodina Hungarians2,1810.050New
Workers' Party of Yugoslavia2,1410.050New
New Radical Party – Party of the People2,1160.050New
Foreign Currency Savers Party1,8950.0500
Movement for the Protection of Human Rights1,8490.0500
Christian Democratic Union1,7720.040New
Serbian Peasants' Party – People's Party1,4890.0400
Alliance of Independent Citizens "For Zemun"1,2430.030New
Independent Radical Party1,2250.030New
Vojvodina Green Party1,1250.030New
League of Communists of Yugoslavia1,0260.030New
Solidarity8910.020New
Green Party7720.0200
Communist Party of Yugoslavia7490.0200
Sandžak Workers Social Democratic Party6740.020New
Liberal Democratic Party5030.010New
"Serbian Citizens" – Serbian Citizens Party4770.010New
United Opposition of Šumadija4400.0100
Rebirth Coalition–Foreign Currency Savers Party–Radical Party3550.0100
Yugoslav Working Class "Josip Broz Tito"3510.0100
Rebirth Coalition–Monarchist Party of Serbia2960.0100
CP of Yugoslavia – Perspective Movement – WP of Yugoslavia2830.0100
Universalist Movement1240.000New
Independents40,1101.0100
Total3,972,468100.002500
Valid votes3,972,46896.03
Invalid/blank votes164,3073.97
Total votes4,136,775100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,210,38657.37
Source: Republican Electoral Commission

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Serbian Presidential Elections Since 1990 Balkan Insight, 1 April 2012
  2. ^ Rosenstone, Steven J. (1983). Forecasting Presidential Elections. Yale University Press. pp. 1–8. ISBN 978-0-300-02691-7.
  3. ^ "CNN.com - World - Election Watch". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  4. ^ "REPUBLIC OF SERBIA: RERUN OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DECEMBER 7 AND DECEMBER 21, 1997" (PDF). osce.org. OSCE. 22 January 1998.
  5. ^ Janusz Bugajski (2002) Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era, pp434
  6. ^ "MILOSEVIC'S PARTY CLAIMS VICTORY IN SERBIAN VOTE". Washington Post. 2024-01-08. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  7. ^ "CNN - Many boycott Serbia ballot - Sept. 21, 1997". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  8. ^ "Arhiva - Izbori za narodne poslanike - 1997". arhiva.rik.parlament.gov.rs. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
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