Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic signed on Friday a decree on the dissolution of parliament and called for the holding of early parliamentary elections in the country on April 24.

This development comes a day after Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic had proposed to Nikolic the dissolution of parliament and the holding of early elections.

According to the Serbian president, the “time has come for citizens to say whether they support the serious and difficult reforms”, Tanjug quotes him as saying.

Nikolic called on citizens, participants in the election and the media to ensure a fair and democratic contest, expressing confidence that Serbia will stay on the path of reforms.

Vucic justified the early elections with the need for a clear mandate to complete the reforms and bring Serbia on the doorstep of the European family.

Since coming into power in 2014, his government has succeeded in preventing a collapse of public finances, implemented difficult economic reforms which pulled the country out of recession and opened the first chapters of the EU’s accession negotiations.