Novi Sad mayor says threats made him "relocate family"

NOVI SAD Novi Sad Mayor Igor Pavlicic of the Democratic Party (DS) has announced that he had to "relocate" his family from the town, "due to pressures and threats". The announcement came as posters appeared in Novi Sad featuring Pavlicic as Rodney Trotter, along with the message, "Gotov je". Novi Sad mayor says threats made him "relocate family" The slogan, which translates to "He's finished", was first used by opposition activists in their campaign against Slobodan Milosevic shortly before the fall of his regime in 2000. "Rodney Trotter", meanwhile, is a character from British sitcom "Only Fools and Horses". Pavlicic is often being referred to as "Rodney" by his fellow Novi Sad residents, due to his physical likeness with the actor who portrayed the character in the comedy show that was wildly popular in Serbia. Meanwhile, the resignation of Pavlicic is being requested by opposition parties in the city assembly - but also by some of his coalition partners. "I have had to relocated my family from Novi Sad so that they don't share all this worry and concern," Pavlicic told reporters. "Novi Sad does not deserve it and this never happened before in our town. I'm convinced that the citizens will recognize those who resort to such methods." He also appraised that the atmosphere surrounding the attempts to change the local government in the town that is the seat of Vojvodina's provincial administration was "unusual": "Not only the political pressure, but also threats have been ongoing for more than a month, while there is an atmosphere of lynch being created in which one can neither work nor function." The posters referring to Pavlicic as a sitcom character (Novosadske Novine) Pavlicic, who also heads the Novi Sad branch of the DS, added that the party's coalition partners of many years - the League of Vojvodina Social-Democrats (LSV) and the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) - "will have to explain to their voters why they joined the calls for his resignation". The upcoming meeting of the town's assembly will show whether there is a new majority, he said, and noted that "if they have a majority, I will congratulate them and hand over my power, which is completely normal in politics". Pavlicic also stated that while he "did not make any contact with the Serb Radical Party (SRS) about their possible support to the DS" it was "natural that they held a position opposite to that of the Serb Progressives (SNS). "The SRS is a party that has proved itself to be principled in Novi Sad," the mayor said of the Radicals. Meanwhile, councilors from opposition parties submitted their request for an extraordinary session of the town's assembly to be held in order to discuss the removal of Pavlicic from office. They include the Serb Progressives (SNS), the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), the Novi Sad Odmah Group - comprised of former Dveri Movement members and those from the "None of the Above" list - and the group made up of the SPO and the Roma Democratic Party. The LSV announced last weekend that their condition for continued cooperation with the Democrats was the departure of Pavlicic. B92 has learned that local party officials of the SNS and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) met shortly after the request for the holding of the session had been submitted. Milos Vucevic of the SNS said that negotiations between the two parties were "headed in the right direction", that they were constructive, leaving him "more optimistic today than he was yesterday". In the wake of the May 6 elections, the local government in Novi Sad was formed by the DS, the LSV, the SPO, and the SPS. Igor Pavlicic addresses reporters B92 Beta

Novi Sad mayor says threats made him "relocate family"

The slogan, which translates to "He's finished", was first used by opposition activists in their campaign against Slobodan Milošević shortly before the fall of his regime in 2000.

"Rodney Trotter", meanwhile, is a character from British sitcom "Only Fools and Horses". Pavličić is often being referred to as "Rodney" by his fellow Novi Sad residents, due to his physical likeness with the actor who portrayed the character in the comedy show that was wildly popular in Serbia.

Meanwhile, the resignation of Pavličić is being requested by opposition parties in the city assembly - but also by some of his coalition partners.

"I have had to relocated my family from Novi Sad so that they don't share all this worry and concern," Pavličić told reporters. "Novi Sad does not deserve it and this never happened before in our town. I'm convinced that the citizens will recognize those who resort to such methods."

He also appraised that the atmosphere surrounding the attempts to change the local government in the town that is the seat of Vojvodina's provincial administration was "unusual":

"Not only the political pressure, but also threats have been ongoing for more than a month, while there is an atmosphere of lynch being created in which one can neither work nor function." Pavličić, who also heads the Novi Sad branch of the DS, added that the party's coalition partners of many years - the League of Vojvodina Social-Democrats (LSV) and the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) - "will have to explain to their voters why they joined the calls for his resignation".

The upcoming meeting of the town's assembly will show whether there is a new majority, he said, and noted that "if they have a majority, I will congratulate them and hand over my power, which is completely normal in politics".

Pavličić also stated that while he "did not make any contact with the Serb Radical Party (SRS) about their possible support to the DS" it was "natural that they held a position opposite to that of the Serb Progressives (SNS).

"The SRS is a party that has proved itself to be principled in Novi Sad," the mayor said of the Radicals.

Meanwhile, councilors from opposition parties submitted their request for an extraordinary session of the town's assembly to be held in order to discuss the removal of Pavličić from office. They include the Serb Progressives (SNS), the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), the Novi Sad Odmah Group - comprised of former Dveri Movement members and those from the "None of the Above" list - and the group made up of the SPO and the Roma Democratic Party.

The LSV announced last weekend that their condition for continued cooperation with the Democrats was the departure of Pavličić.

B92 has learned that local party officials of the SNS and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) met shortly after the request for the holding of the session had been submitted. Miloš Vučević of the SNS said that negotiations between the two parties were "headed in the right direction", that they were constructive, leaving him "more optimistic today than he was yesterday".

In the wake of the May 6 elections, the local government in Novi Sad was formed by the DS, the LSV, the SPO, and the SPS.