First session of the Belgrade City Assembly, 19 February 2024
Photo: FoNet
BELGRADE – The first session of the new Belgrade City Assembly was scheduled for today, but it was postponed until 1 March. If the speaker of the city assembly is not elected until the legal deadline of 3 March, a new election will be triggered.
It has been confirmed by multiple actors that two councillors from the list “WE – The Voice from the People” led by Branimir Nestorović are ready to support the coalition around the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). However, SNS leadership is claiming it is attempting to form a “more legitimate” majority by the beginning of March or go for a new election if unsuccessful.
Much like during the first session of the national parliament, opposition entered the City Assembly hall with signs reading “You stole the election!”, “Theft won’t pass!” and “Belgrade does not want you!” Irregularities that marked the December elections were most prominent in Belgrade, where the result was the closest, and included allegations of ‘phantom voters’ added to the voter registry by the ruling party.
Opposition coalitions “Serbia Against Violence” and NADA are demanding a repeat election in Belgrade and the improvement of electoral conditions.
In December election, previous ruling majority composed of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) won 54 out of 110 seats, two short of a majority. Opposition coalitions Serbia Against Violence and NADA won 50 seats, while 6 seats were won by a new populist organisation “WE – The Voice from the People” led by doctor Branimir Nestorović.
In the weeks following the election, Nestorović said that the list will not support anyone in Belgrade. However, on Monday he confirmed a longstanding speculation that two councillors elected from his list are ready to join SNS-SPS coalition in a statement for N1.
Opposition parties and commentators have stressed that this would be a deception of the voters, given the fact that “WE – The Voice from the People” ran as an opposition to SNS.
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić said during a television appearance on Sunday that SNS had the majority in Belgrade “but that it was not absolutely legitimate” and that the party will wait until March to see whether such legitimate majority will be formed.
“Better not to have power than have even the smallest suspicion that it was stolen”, Vučić said.
His argument was echoed by Aleksandar Šapić, SNS candidate for the second term as Belgrade mayor, who said that the party wanted to “raise the moral standards” of coalition formation.
“If during the next ten days the list ‘WE – The Voice from the People’ does not reach a joint position [on entering the ruling coalition] we will go for a new election, because we believe that Belgrade needs a legal, legitimate and stable administration”, said Šapić.
If a speaker of the assembly is not elected until 3 March, new election in Belgrade would have to take place until the beginning of June. This means it would not coincide with the regular local elections in the rest of the country.
