Belgrade, Serbia — Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he will resign on Sept. 27 and seek to return as prime minister in snap parliamentary elections next month.
Vucic told Serbian broadcaster Pink TV that he would step down before campaigning as an ordinary citizen ahead of the Oct. 25 elections.
“I will address the people that evening, thanking them for their support. I have also been the president of the Republic for the longest time since the multi-party system was established in our country. I could not have done it without the citizens of this country,” Vucic said.
He said he plans to campaign across Serbia, including in remote villages and urban areas, as he seeks the premiership.
Serbia’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party nominated Vucic on Sept. 5 as the lead candidate on its parliamentary election list and its candidate for prime minister.
Vucic signed a decree dissolving parliament on Sept. 9 and called snap parliamentary elections for Oct. 25.
The Serbian leader previously served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017 before being elected president in 2017. He won a second presidential term in 2022.
His current term is not due to expire until May 2027. Serbia’s Constitution limits the president to two five-year terms.
With reports from Xinhua News Agency
