Nebojsa Stefanovic becomes new speaker of Serbian parliament

 Nebojsa Stefanovic of the Serbian Progressive Party was appointed Speaker of the Serbian Parliament on Monday.

Of the 205 MPs taking part in the vote, 142 voted in favour, 48 were against, while 15 abstained from voting.

Stefanovic, 36, who holds a master's degree in economics, was the only candidate for the post.

In his brief address to the MPs after his appointment, Stefanovic said he would work on promoting the spirit of democracy and tolerance in Parliament. He called for the supervision of the government's work, the strengthening of democracy, and the further opening of Parliament towards the public.

Deputy speakers of parliament and members of parliamentary bodies are expected to be appointed in the continuation of the session in the afternoon.

Serbia's new government is expected to be officially formed later this week. (Hina)