Serbia goes to the polls on May 6

Tadic called on citizens to exercise their democratic privilege and affirm the country's democratic principles.

"Elections are always a solemn moment," Tadic told reporters. "For years and decades we fought to establish democracy in Serbia, but today we have a different atmosphere and I believe that during the election process we can unite around central strategic objectives."

The May 6 date for parliamentary elections comes about a month before the current government's mandate expires.

"The future government will have to make difficult and complex decisions to ensure a better future for citizens," Tadic added.

Earlier this month, Serbia received candidate status for the European Union. An ongoing program of institutional and economic reforms aimed at achieving EU membership and the politically volatile issue of the status of Serbia's southern province of Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence in 2008, are expected to dominate the election campaigns.

Provincial elections in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina are also slated for May 6. Municipal elections in Serbia are soon expected to be announced by parliamentary speaker Slavica Djukic Dejanovic.

Source: Xinhua