Serbia's leader Aleksandar Vucic claimed a landslide victory in general elections Sunday, paving the way for another term as president and extending his decade-long rule in the Balkan nation.
Official results were set to be announced late on Monday but Mr Vucic appeared confident in his performance just hours after the polls closed, saying a run-off would not be needed.
"I am pleased that a huge number of people voted and showed the democratic nature of Serbian society," he claimed in a televised victory speech, saying he secured about 60 per cent of the vote.
"There was no suspense at any time."
The country of about seven million took to the polls to elect the president and members of the 250-seat Parliament, and cast votes in several municipal contests.
Surveys before the polls predicted Mr Vucic's centre-right Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, would maintain its control over the Parliament, while he would secure a second term.
"Personally, I see stable progress and I voted in accordance with this opinion," government employee Milovan Krstic, 52, told AFP after casting his vote in Belgrade.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine cast a long shadow over a contest that observers earlier predicted would focus on environmental issues, corruption and rights.
Mr Vucic deftly used the return of war in Europe along with the coronavirus pandemic to his advantage, promising voters continued stability amid uncertain headwinds.
"The influence of the Ukrainian crisis on the election results was huge," he said in his victory speech.
Serbia's leading opposition candidate, Zdravko Ponos, remained defiant after the victory speech.
"These elections are the beginning of the end of Aleksandar Vucic ... we will not waste this," Mr Ponos said.
In the capital Belgrade, the elections were briefly marred by scuffles between parliamentary candidate Pavle Grbovic and SNS supporters, along with scattered reports of small skirmishes and voter intimidation.
During his victory speech, Mr Vucic dismissed any allegations of foul play.
The country's election commission predicted voter turnout was likely to be about 60 per cent, nearly a 10-point jump from the last general elections in 2020.
Serbs from the former breakaway province of Kosovo also took part in the contest and boarded about 40 buses headed north to vote, after authorities in Pristina refused to allow polling stations on its soil.
Only a few months before the polls, the opposition seemed to have gained momentum.
In January, Mr Vucic axed a controversial lithium mine project after mass protests in which tens of thousands took to the streets.
The move was a rare defeat for Mr Vucic, who has had a range of positions, including prime minister, president and deputy premier, along with a stint as the defence chief during a decade in power.
During the run-up to the elections, surveys predicted he would win again on Sunday even as the opposition had hoped a high turnout could force a run-off.
But analysts said the opposition had little chance of dethroning Mr Vucic or eating away at his commanding parliamentary coalition, which holds a lion's share of the seats.
The president has also carefully managed the country's response to the war in Ukraine by officially condemning Russia at the UN but stopping short of imposing sanctions on Moscow. Many Serbs hold a favourable view of the Kremlin.
The opposition has largely refrained from attacking Mr Vucic's position on the conflict, fearing any call for harsher measures against Russia would backfire at the ballot box.
He headed into the elections with many other advantages.
After a decade at the helm, he has increasingly tightened his grip over the various levers of power, including de facto control over much of the media and government services.
In the months leading up to the campaign, he introduced a range of financial aid offers to select groups, prompting critics to say he was trying to "buy" votes before the contest.
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