Thousands protested in Belgrade to demand the annulment of elections. An anti-government demonstration took place on Sunday in the central business district of Belgrade. The demonstration aimed to demand the annulment of the unfair parliamentary and local elections a week ago.

According to early findings from the state election commission, the populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), now in power, received 46.72 percent of the votes cast in the snap parliamentary elections over the weekend.

A monitoring mission from the international community stated on Monday that the Social Networking Service (SNS) had obtained an unfair advantage due to prejudice in the media, unlawful influence from President Aleksandar Vucic, and voting irregularities such as vote-buying.

Vucic stated that the elections were conducted legally. A witness who spoke to Reuters claimed that the police used pepper spray on Sunday when a crowd attempted to break into the town hall in Belgrade, which houses the city’s local election commission. A few of the demonstrators scaled the stairs of the building and shattered the glass. People hurled stones at windows, causing the glass to shatter.

Demonstrators screamed, “Vucic thief,” again. The Ministry of the Interior issued a statement that urged demonstrators to “refrain from breaking into the town hall.”

“By reacting calmly, we are trying not to hurt protesters,” Vucic stated in the message in the early evening. In the election, the Socialist Party of Serbia came in third with 6.56% of the vote. In contrast, the opposition alliance Serbia Against Violence, a center-left coalition, came in second place with 23.56% of the vote.

While the audience yelled, “Get in, get in,” and “No surrender,” Srdjan Milivojevic and Vladimir Obradovic, members of the Serbia Against Violence coalition, attempted to open the town hall entrance but were unsuccessful. These individuals were unable to enter the building.

At around ten o’clock (2100 GMT), the anti-riot police moved protesters away from the town hall. Marinika Tepic, another Serbia Against Violence organization member, has been on a hunger strike since the elections.

Taipei’s former top diplomat in the United States and now frontrunner to become Taiwan’s next vice president stated on Friday that the governing party of Taiwan will not allow a conflict to break out with China but that China is responsible for stirring up tensions. “China is to blame for stirring up tensions,” the former diplomat said.

There will be presidential and legislative elections on January 13, defining the relationship between Beijing and Taiwan, which China claims. These elections are taking place at a time when China is increasing its military activity near Taiwan to establish its sovereignty claims.

China has criticized the incumbent vice president Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate who is currently leading in the polls, for framing the election as a choice between war and peace. China has portrayed the election as a choice between war and peace, which Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), has echoed.

Lai’s running partner, Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s high-profile former de facto ambassador to the United States, stated that her opponents have constantly accused the DPP of causing tensions in the Taiwan Strait during a live broadcast pre-election policy talk. The three vice presidential candidates delivered the address.

“However, the entire world is aware that the valid reason is that China has been pushing outward in an authoritarian posture for several years to alter the current international order and status quo. Hsiao commented that the buildup of China’s weaponry continued unabated even when the KMT was in power.

We are working to enhance our defenses to prevent conflict. The status quo of peace in the Taiwan Strait is something that Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim advocate for, and I want to make it clear to my fellow citizens that we will not allow war to break out in the Taiwan Strait.

Jaw Shaw-kong, a fiery media personality and the vice presidential candidate for the Kuomintang (KMT), stated that his party was “absolutely not pro-China” as he was standing next to Jai.

Jaw, whose party has always supported strong ties with China, stated that the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) does not grasp mainland China and does not possess any understanding whatsoever of the Communist Party.

“The DPP are using the China threat as a chip to get them elected, to dupe the electorate.”

Jaw stated that Taiwan and China need to engage in discussion. He criticized the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) for failing to do so and pledged that the Kuomintang (KMT) would restart talks while also maintaining Taiwan’s defenses.

On several occasions, President Tsai Ing-wen and her cabinet, including Lai and Hsiao, have made numerous attempts to engage in dialogue with China while they were campaigning, but they have been unsuccessful.

The Chinese government has referred to the election as an “internal Chinese affair” and has referred to Lai and Hsiao as dangerous separatists.

According to the DPP and the KMT, Taiwan’s people are the only ones who can decide their destiny.

In her speech, Cynthia Wu, the vice presidential candidate for the Taiwan People’s Party, now in a distant second place in the polls, made very few references to China. Instead, she focused on internal problems, such as the necessity of establishing a sovereign wealth fund.

During a referendum that took place on Sunday, Venezuelan voters rejected the authority of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the country’s territorial dispute with Guyana. Additionally, they supported the establishment of a new state in the Esequibo area, which has the potential to be rich in oil.

Even though the court this week prohibited Venezuela from taking any action that might affect the status quo in the region, which is the subject of ongoing litigation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the administration of President Nicolas Maduro moved ahead with a “consultative” referendum that consisted of five questions.

Elvis Amoroso, the head of the electoral authority, stated that at least 10.5 million ballots were cast for ‘yes’ but did not confirm the number of voters. He also stated that all questions passed with more than 95% approval rates.

In advance of the 2024 presidential election, several security commentators have described the referendum as a Maduro power show and a test of public support for his government.

Even though a final decision on the subject might not be made for several years, the court stated in April that it had jurisdiction over the case. Venezuela has stated that the two countries’ governments must resolve the issue.

Later on Sunday, Maduro expressed his satisfaction with the “total success” of the vote.

“The Venezuelan people have spoken loudly and clearly,” he said to a crowd that supported him with cheers.

At issue is a zone that spans 160,000 square kilometers (61,776 square miles) and primarily comprises dense rainforest. Venezuela has renewed its claim on the area over the past several years after discovering oil and gas offshore.

“The purpose of Maduro’s government is to send a message of strength to Guyana,” said Ricardo Sucre, a professor of politics at the Central University of Venezuela. Sucre also mentioned that Maduro is considering the possibility of oil and gas projects.

There is also a disagreement on the marine boundary that separates the two countries.

As a result of the absence of a coordinated campaign opposing the referendum, commentators anticipated that voters opposed to it would remain at home.

Over twenty million people in Venezuela are eligible to vote in the next election.

In several of the voting places that Reuters witnesses visited around the country, there were either very few people standing in line or none.

Poll workers in Maracaibo, which is in the oil-rich state of Zulia, informed Reuters that voter turnout was low.

At a voting facility in Caracas, a retiree named Carmen Pereira, who was 80 years old, stated, “We have to vote for the defense of our nation because the Esequibo belongs to us and we can’t leave it to the gringos (Americans).” Two hours were added to the voting time by the authorities.

According to Benigno Alarcon, head of the Center for Political Studies at Andres Bello Catholic University in Caracas, “the government is holding the referendum for internal reasons,” which is the rationale mentioned in the statement. “It needs to test its electoral machinery.”

Another security expert named Rocio San Miguel stated that Maduro would be removed from power if the opposition came together and if Venezuelans showed a willingness to take part in the election that will take place in 2024. According to the statement, “He is activating a scenario of conflict” to delay the election possibly.

Guyana is feeling anxious about the election that will take place on Sunday, and the administration has urged them to be calm.

Irfaan Ali, the President of Guyana, joined hundreds of other supporters in waving flags at a patriotic event on Sunday. According to him, the verdict handed down by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday makes it illegal for Venezuela to “annex or trespass upon Guyanese territory.”

After the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) verdict, several people in Georgetown expressed relief.

My opinion is that the court made the appropriate decision. A vegetable vendor named Kim Rampersaud, who is 41 years old, remarked, “I can breathe a bit easier now.”

Throughout the territorial dispute, Brazil said on Wednesday that it had increased the number of “defensive actions” near its northern border.