Serbian local elections, 2008

Local elections were held in Serbia on 11 May 2008. According to the Constitutional Law adopted by the National Assembly on 30 September 2006 that proclaimed the new constitution, the parliamentary Speaker (at that time Oliver Dulić from DS) had to schedule the elections for local administrative units by 31 December 2007. [ [http://www.novosti.co.yu/code/navigate.php?Id=1&status=jedna&vest=96098&datum=2006-09-30 Novosti | Vecernje novosti | Politika ] ] He scheduled them on 2007-12-29. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=12&dd=30&nav_id=46562 B92 - News - Politics - Dulić calls local, provincial ballots for May ] ] Following the official breakdown of the government on 8 March 2008, early parliamentary elections were held on the same date. A revote was held in three polling stations in Belgrade on 18 May 2008 due to irregularities in the electoral process. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=05&dd=18&nav_id=50333 B92 - News - Politics - Revote ongoing in six polling stations ] ]

Negotiations between the ruling parties, the President's DS and the Premier's DSS, were trying to enact a compromise on the date of the election. Tadić's Democratic Party wanted to respect the constitutional law, wanting to schedule the election by the end of year and hold it in March 2008, which is DSS's demand because of the solution of the status of Kosovo. G17 Plus wants the Mayors and municipal Presidents to be elected directly as in the past, but the Democratic Party wants them to be elected by the local parliaments. One of the main reasons for this is because DS doesn't have a popular candidate to beat the Radical one for Mayor of Belgrade. Tadic's personal associate Jovanović was the potential candidate for the position, the plan being that he would be elected by the parliamentary majority.

Four laws necessary for the local elections (on territorial organisation, the capital, local elections and local self-government) were passed before the elections.

Ever since the tragic death of Belgrade Mayor Nenad Bogdanović the Serbian Radical Party has demanded parliamentary Speaker Oliver Dulic to schedule a Mayoral election, however Dulić said that that the Constitutional Law mandated him to schedule general local elections simultaneously.

The new Law of Belgrade foresaw a Mayor elected from the City Parliament.

In areas geographically comprising Sandžak, the Sanjak Democratic Party and Democratic Party ran in local elections together. The European Coalition of DS, G17+ and SPO ran in all Municipalities and Cities, except in Niš, where G17+ had been part of ruling coalition for the last years and where DS was running against them. [ [http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=03&dd=20&nav_id=48624 B92 - News - Politics - DS, G17 Plus on separate lists in Niš ] ] The "Serb List" political of SRS, DSS, NS, SPS and several nationalist civic groups and organizations had been formed and ran in most of Vojvodina locally.

My Serbia of famous actor Branislav Lečić ran individually in local elections. Mayor of Novi Sad and former Radical Maja Gojkovic ran in the City with her civic group "For Our Novi Sad".

Cities

Belgrade

# For a European Belgrade – Boris Tadić (За европски Београд – Борис Тадић)
# DSS – New Serbia – Vojislav Koštunica (ДСС – Нова Србија – Војислав Коштуница)
# Liberal Democratic Party – Čedomir Jovanović (Либерално демократска партија – Чедомир Јовановић)
# Serbian Radical Party – Tomislav Nikolić (Српска радикална странка – Томислав Николић)
# Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) – Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS) – United Serbia (JS) (Социјалистичка партија Србије (СПС) – Партија уједињених пензионера Србије (ПУПС) – Јединствена Србија (ЈС))
# Serbian Strength Movement – Bogoljub Karić (Покрет снага Србије – Богољуб Карић)

Novi Sad

For a European Serbia won 30 out of 78 seats in city parliament. They are likely to form a coalition with Together for Vojvodina, which won 9 seats. Hungarian Coalition, with 1 seat is to complete a new ruling coalition in Novi Sad, to end a 4 year rule by Serbian Radical Party, which won 26 seats, and Democratic Party of Serbia/New Serbia, now down to 5 seats. Civic group of former mayor Maja Gojković won 7 seats, to complete distribution of seats in City parliament of Novi Sad.

References