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| - Parliamentary and local elections in Serbia will now be held in June after they were postponed due to the new coronavirus pandemic, President Aleksandar Vucic said Monday. The polls, initially set for April 26, were postponed in mid-March, when Serbia declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in a bid to fight the COVID-19. "Parliamentary and local elections will be held on June 21," Vucic told reporters after meeting leaders of political parties that will take part in the polls. It is yet to be seen how the electoral campaign will be conducted as Serbia is yet to lift curfew that is on every night from 6 pm to 5 am (1600 GMT to 0300 GMT). Earlier on Monday the government said it would ask the parliament to lift the state of emergency and the curfew. The parliament is expected to meet later this week and end the curfew starting from Thursday. Due to the epidemic "it is pretty certain that there will be no (electoral) rallies in May, certainly not large ones and in closed spaces," Vucic said. Regarding electoral meetings and rallies in June "we will ask doctors and epidemiologists for an opinion. It will depend on the situation with the epidemic," he added. Serbia on Monday relaxed some measures introduced in a bid to fight the pandemic of COVID-19 virus, including reopening of restaurants and cafes as well as resuming public transport. Serbia has confirmed more than 9,000 infected people so far, including fewer than 200 deaths. The figures have been decreasing in last several days. ks/lc
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