Serbia's President Tomislav Nikolic has dissolved the country's parliament and called for early elections on April 24 -- a move requested by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

Nikolic announced the decision on March 4,a day after Vucic's government called for the move so that a new cabinet with a "clear mandate" can pursue reforms and put Serbia on the path to European Union membership.

Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has been allied with several small parties in a coalition government.

It is well ahead in opinion polls, putting Vucic on track to lead the next government as well.

The SNS won 131 seats in Serbia’s 250-member parliament through elections in April 2014.

That was enough to control a majority in the legislature but short of the two-thirds majority needed to make constitutional changes required for Serbia's accession to the EU.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

