Serbia's parliament formally accepted the resignation of the Prime Minister Milos Vucevic on Wednesday, triggering a 30-day deadline for the formation of a new government or the calling of a snap election,
Reuters reports.
Vucevic, the head of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and an ally of the populist President Aleksandar Vucic, resigned on January 28 amid protests sparked by the collapse of an awning at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad last November in which 15 people died.
More than 100,000 protesters descended on Belgrade on Saturday for one of the largest rallies in decades. The protesters say the train disaster was a symptom of widespread corruption and mismanagement, which the government denies.
Under the constitution, President Vucic now has 30 days to propose a new prime minister-designate to lead the government until 2027, when both parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled.
"The Serbian parliament, ... has acknowledged the resignation of the Prime Minister and the government mandate ends," parliamentary speaker Ana Brnabic said. "The deadline for ... the new government is April 18 at midnight."
