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The Socialists are changing the election law again. They’re adapting it to suit their needs. They’re increasing the number of electoral districts because they expect that’s how they’ll secure a majority in the Serbian parliament. Frequent changes in election rules don’t contribute to the reputation of parliamentary procedure. In normal countries, they would be punished just as an old man who keeps changing his will would be punished through contempt and a loss of authority. That fickleness, even if only in terms of elections, would have a hugely negative effect in normal countries, which could not be compensated for through any election math. But, things get forgotten quickly here. Gorica Gajevic can stand up in the Serbian parliament and shout out that the opposition committed fraud at the local elections, while the ruling coalition did nothing of the kind. For similar reasons, it’s easy to start a rumor that sounds completely unbelievable: allegedly, some Socialists in Nis stole votes from the Serbian Renewal Movement and stuffed them into the ballot boxes of the Democratic Party. The opposition parties know that the authorities are out to rob them again. This time it’s going to be elegant; without outright robbery. According to some estimates, under the new election law, Kosovo alone will give the leftist coalition 35 MPs. Some parties are calling Gonzales back to help, or are threatening to boycott the elections. The Radicals are complaining as a matter of form, but they agree to the new 29 electoral districts. They’re invoking the supremacy of their party and trying to hide their close relations with the Socialists. The election campaign has started. It’s a tragic fact that this (increasingly frequent) election squabbling in Serbia isn’t contributing to parliamentary stability but is only strengthening party rule.