March 2 (SeeNews) - Serbia will hold presidential elections on April 2, the government said on Thursday.
National Assembly president Maja Gojkovic has signed the decree on the presidential elections and called on Serbian citizens to evaluate the programmes of the candidates with their votes on April 2, the government said in a statement.
Candidates can be nominated by registered political parties, coalitions and groups of citizens, if the application is signed by at least 10,000 voters and submitted to the electoral commission no later than 20 days before election day, the government said.
Serbia uses a two-round presidential election system. If no candidate wins absolute majority in the furst round, the front-runner will face the second-placed candidate in a run-off vote.
In January, Serbia's prime minister Aleksandar Vucic said he had accepted his nomination for president made by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in order to ensure the stability of the country.
Serbian ombudsman Sasa Jankovic announced in January that he would run for president, supported by opposition Democratic Party, while Bosko Obradovic, chairman of another opposition party, Dveri, also announced he would run.
Vuk Jeremic, who served as Serbia's foreign minister between 2007 and 2012 and was President of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly between September 2012 and September 2013, will also run.
The term of office of incumbent president Tomislav Nikolic will expire on May 31.