Serbia Delays Elections After Virus Triggers Emergency

(Bloomberg) -- Serbia suspended all preparations for parliamentary elections scheduled for April 26 after imposing a state of emergency that effectively bans public activity to contain the coronavirus, the electoral commission said.

The vote will be delayed by at least a month, Blic newspaper reported, without saying where it got the information. President Aleksandar Vucic will meet representatives of political parties on Tuesday that are planning to take part.

Preparations for the ballot will resume after the state of emergency is lifted, the commission said.

Serbia has closed its borders to all foreigners but Chinese, shut schools and limited the hours of cafes and restaurants. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Monday the government may impose a curfew if citizens don’t abide by an order to stay home. The state of emergency may last 90 days and can be extended to a maximum 180 days.

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