In less than two months, the first local elections will be held in the midst of student and civil protests that have spread throughout Serbia. Will the opposition boycott them or come out against them anyway?
As a litmus paper - that's how some local politicians see the first ones local elections which will take place after (or during, if they continue) student protests.
On Sunday, June 8th, locals Zaječara i Kosjerić will decide who will lead their local governments in the next four years.
President of the Assembly of Serbia Ana Brnabic announced elections for councilors in those two places for June 8.
The previous elections in these two local self-government units were held on March 28, 2021, both then-elected Assemblies were constituted on May 28, so it is time to call for new local elections, Brnabić stated.
As she said, local elections are announced no earlier than 150, and no later than 45 days before the end of the councilor's mandate.
"I set the last date in which those elections can be held, so that all interested participants have time to run for office and have a quality election campaign," said Brnabić, after she signed the decision to call the elections in the Serbian Parliament.
Who will be interested in participating in the elections is not entirely clear yet, but some opposition parties are already announcing a boycott.
Will the opposition participate in the elections?
Boycott elections is not new in political life in Serbia, and some parties are already calling for the same scenario in the upcoming elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić.
The NADA coalition, which consists of the New Democratic Party of Serbia (New DSS) and the Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia (POKS), announced that the entire opposition should take a united and unified position that they will not participate in that performance.
"As long as the opposition's hands and feet are tied, and it is invited to the race, it should not participate in it, but it should not be a silent observer of the events, but an active participant in them," stated POKS.
As stated, the elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić will be held under the old election conditions, with electoral theft prepared in advance, and will represent another farce to create a semblance of normality.
"The opposition should prevent the election farce and theft in Zaječar and Kosjerić and prevent the election process until the elections are truly free, fair and democratic, without pressure on citizens from state authorities to vote for the ruling party, with equal presence of everyone in the media and without buying votes," the NADA coalition believes.
Some other political options, such as the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Serbia, are announcing a boycott.
Even though it is so, local politicians with whom "Vreme" spoke do not think that it is a good decision and are heavily preparing for the upcoming elections.
This is a way to stop the SNS
"Of course we will participate", this is how Ugleša Đuričković, president of the Zaokret movement from Zaječar, begins the interview for "Vreme".
"A few months ago, we united the main opposition, which did not happen in the previous 30 years. Committees of groups of citizens and parties united under the name Change we believe in, and this is how we will perform in the upcoming elections," Đuričković told "Vreme".
As he adds, there will certainly be parties and groups of citizens who will boycott the elections for various reasons, and among them, he states, are some groups of citizens, minority groups, and the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Democratic Party.
"I have no doubt that a good part of the parties will boycott the elections in the coming period. We are not interested in that, because we want to change the government, we want to change the regime. There is no talk. We do not expect that the election conditions will ever get better. If we wait for that, we will not see it," says Đuričković.
The name of Dragana Rašić, member of the Democratic Party, will be on the list of Change in which we believe, despite the fact that her party is announcing a boycott.
"My party, the Democratic Party, will not take part in the upcoming elections, but I will take part in them. It's a bit of a confusing situation, but that's how it is, because the party's position is not to go to the elections if the required conditions are not met. On the other hand, we have local problems here that force us to be responsible in the local community. People expect that from us at the local level. It's a different perspective how you look at the situation from the national level, and how you follow it from the local level," Rašić told "Vreme".
As he explains, the first local elections held during student protests are a kind of litmus test.
"They will clearly show us what we have done in these five months. It is very important to participate in these elections, because I think that at the moment people do not see the elections as something on which votes will be won, but as some kind of issue of yes or no. It doesn't matter to me what my party will say, I really want to go according to the needs of the citizens and the people I live with," explains Rašić, adding that this is an opportunity for the Serbian Progressive Party to stand on the line and create some kind of referendum atmosphere.
"We are sure that the government will change"
In Zaječar, as in almost all local governments in Serbia, the SNS and its coalition partners are in power.
"Vremen" interlocutors from that city are sure that after the June elections, the government in Zaječar will change.
"We are sure that the government will change. We will change them, because the same people who completely destroyed the city have been in power for 20 years; people are out of work, they are leaving the city. People here are quite aware that this regime is responsible for that. While people are getting poorer, they are getting richer," says Uglješa Đuričković.
Dragana Rašić also expects such an outcome, and in support of that, she mentions the situation that happened when the students came to their city.
"What I saw when the students passed through our town is something I have not seen in my political career in Zaječar. There were always protests with much fewer people. When they passed through here, I think they really woke up this sleeping town. It meant a lot to people. After that event, the situation here really changed," concludes Rašić.
United in Kosjerić too?
On the same day, 270 kilometers west of Zaječar, the residents of Kosjerić will vote.
And from there, announcements about boycotts, but also unification for the benefit of society.
Aleksandar Ralić, from the National Movement of Serbia, says that the movement will go to the elections, unless there are some changes due to the protests.
"We have confirmation from the New Face of Serbia that they will come out. We are negotiating with them. Some other groups of citizens have declared that they will participate. We are negotiating about the possibility of a joint exit," Ralić told "Vreme".
As he adds, as a result of the protests, people's consciousness has been awakened, and the ruling party does not stand the same way as it did before them.
"Our desire and goal is to try to create some kind of free territory, which would be a wind at the back of our organization and the entire opposition in Serbia to have 'something to brag about' and that it is possible to win even in small municipalities of the SNS. Any winning result would give a wind at the back of the entire opposition in Serbia," says Ralić.
And Vladan Todorović from the Citizens' Group Clean People for Clean Kosjerić talks about a potential joint appearance in the next elections.
"A local election boycott is shooting yourself in the foot. Of course, there are those who promote the boycott, but I don't think it's good," says Todorović.
As he adds, his group of citizens is negotiating with the opposition and other civic options regarding joint participation in the elections.
"We are in negotiations with the opposition for them to come out with their first and last names, to give up party prefixes, as well as for us from civic groups to give up prefixes and come out together as a bloc," says Todorović.
As he adds, this way people can be shown that it is very important for them to offer the right option, "that what we are doing is for the good of all of us, for the common good, to recognize the true and sincere intention if we all go out under one slogan".
"When someone is also from the opposition, but is ready to give it up, that is a big step forward and letting the voters know that not only politics and the mandate are important, but that the important goal is to stand in the way of this and end that agony," Todorović told "Vreme".
A training ground for showing solidarity
Kosjerić and Zaječar can be a training ground for showing solidarity and togetherness, says Todorović.
"We have started talks, we are in the process, we are waiting for the political parties to see if they are ready for such a thing. The New Face of Serbia and the People's Movement of Serbia were in the mood, but now the directives are coming from the headquarters. We are in the mood, willing, but it depends on them. It will be clear as day whether the number of mandates or the general interest of the citizens is important to them. The DSS, the DS will boycott. The HRC has not yet decided decisively," says Todorović.
While the negotiations are ongoing, he adds that they will continue to follow the instructions of the students.
"They started this wave, most things are going on their wings. If they say that there are no conditions for going to the elections, then we will not go to them," concludes Todorović.
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