Belgrade mayor unmoved by protest threat

Acting Belgrade Mayor Zoran Alimpic says that “for now” he has no intention of rescheduling the Belgrade assembly’s constitutive session set for July 14. “For now, I say, because I retain my legal right to change my decision,” Alimpic told a press conference. Belgrade mayor unmoved by protest threat However, the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) once again submitted a request to Alimpic bring the date of the first constitutive session forward. The acting mayor said that he could ultimately decide to reschedule the session if he felt the situation that had led him to schedule the session for July 14 in the first place, had changed. Alimpic confirmed that he had received a request today from the SRS, the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition and the DSS-NS coalition to bring the session forward, adding that such moves could have a backlash. The acting mayor said that pressure could only help push the meeting back further, and that there was no need for the same request to be submitted every day. He said that the contents of the new request were almost identical to the one he received two days ago, with the only difference being that 58 councilors from the three lists had signed the new one. “I’m not surprised, because it is normal for representatives to sign what they’re told to by the heads of the party main boards, who already have signed copies of their resignations ready,” Alimpic said. The acting mayor said that legal regulations in this area were weak, allowing a councilor to be replaced without any questions asked if it was felt that he had changed his views. “I met with representatives of the three lists when I received the request, and we all insisted on our previous positions,” he said. Alimpic said that he had nothing against any potential protests, because everyone had the right to protest as long as the law was respected, traffic was not disrupted, and there was no damage done to buildings and no physical violence resulted from the demonstrations. Earlier, 58 future councilors from the ranks of the SRS, DSS and SPS formally requested for the Belgrade assembly's constitutive session to be brought forward. They threatened to begin protests if they do not get their way. During submission of the request, the coalition’s future councilors gathered in front of Belgrade City Hall together with the leaders of the Serb Radical Party, Democratic Party of Serbia and Socialist Party of Serbia’s respective city boards— Aleksandar Vucic, Andreja Mladenovic, Aleksandar Antic and Milan Krkobabic. They expect Alimpic to reverse his decision to hold the assembly’s constitutive session on July 14, and move the session to immediately after expiry of the deadline for submission of councilor lists on June 6. Coalition representatives have announced daily protests following Alimpic’s decision to put the session off until July 14. Vucic, who is the SRS-DSS-SPS coalition’s candidate for mayor, said that the acting mayor’s decision was unlawful, and said that he expected him to behave “rationally and democratically.“ Mladenovic said that the newly-formed coalition had an absolute majority, and that 58 councilors were assembled outside the City Hall. He said that he expected the constitutive session to be held next week, and that further delays were in no-one’s interests. Antic said that all the newly-formed coalition’s activities at city level would be united and democratic with the aim of reversing Alimpic’s decision. He called on the mayor to “respect the will of the citizens.“ The move comes after acting Belgrade Mayor Zoran Alimpic said yesterday that he would not change his decision regarding the local assembly’s constitutive session despite the threat of protests from the opposition. “I don’t understand why they’re protesting, I haven’t broken the law. It’s senseless,“ Alimpic told B92, adding that he had been surprised by the “fuss“ created as a result of his decision to call the constitutive session for July 14. He said that the decision had been “legal“, as well as “politically motivated.“ The acting mayor said that it was the “duty of every normal Belgrade citizen“ to try and stop “a bad government that will do harm to Belgrade“ from coming to power. He said that he could not stop the Serb Radical Party (SRS) assuming the reins of power, but that he could set a later date for the assembly’s constitutive session. “I can’t stop it, but I’m trying to at least put it off a bit,“ said Alimpic. Following insistence from the SRS, the SPS, and the DSS for a session to be called urgently, the acting mayor said that that coalition was “obviously not all that stable“ if it was in such a rush. He said that a local government with the SRS, not to mention a republic government, would be bad because of the party’s ideology, which was now enshrined in the books of Hague accused and SRS leader Vojislav Seselj. Meanwhile, SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolic has said that the Radicals will not delay the constitution of the new Novi Sad assembly, adding that it could take place in 10 days’ time. “In consultations with the SRS’s city board, we’ve decided that the constitutive session of the Novi Sad assembly should be held no later than 10 days from tomorrow,” said Nikolic. The SRS deputy leader said that this would be possible provided all the parties submitted their lists of councilors by tomorrow. The Novi Sad assembly has 78 seats, and the SRS, after four years in power, will move into opposition. Zoran Alimpic (FoNet, archive)

Belgrade mayor unmoved by protest threat

However, the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) once again submitted a request to Alimpić bring the date of the first constitutive session forward.

The acting mayor said that he could ultimately decide to reschedule the session if he felt the situation that had led him to schedule the session for July 14 in the first place, had changed.

Alimpić confirmed that he had received a request today from the SRS, the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition and the DSS-NS coalition to bring the session forward, adding that such moves could have a backlash.

The acting mayor said that pressure could only help push the meeting back further, and that there was no need for the same request to be submitted every day.

He said that the contents of the new request were almost identical to the one he received two days ago, with the only difference being that 58 councilors from the three lists had signed the new one.

“I’m not surprised, because it is normal for representatives to sign what they’re told to by the heads of the party main boards, who already have signed copies of their resignations ready,” Alimpić said.

The acting mayor said that legal regulations in this area were weak, allowing a councilor to be replaced without any questions asked if it was felt that he had changed his views.

“I met with representatives of the three lists when I received the request, and we all insisted on our previous positions,” he said.

Alimpić said that he had nothing against any potential protests, because everyone had the right to protest as long as the law was respected, traffic was not disrupted, and there was no damage done to buildings and no physical violence resulted from the demonstrations.

Earlier, 58 future councilors from the ranks of the SRS, DSS and SPS formally requested for the Belgrade assembly's constitutive session to be brought forward.

They threatened to begin protests if they do not get their way.

During submission of the request, the coalition’s future councilors gathered in front of Belgrade City Hall together with the leaders of the Serb Radical Party, Democratic Party of Serbia and Socialist Party of Serbia’s respective city boards— Aleksandar Vučić, Andreja Mladenović, Aleksandar Antić and Milan Krkobabić.

They expect Alimpić to reverse his decision to hold the assembly’s constitutive session on July 14, and move the session to immediately after expiry of the deadline for submission of councilor lists on June 6.

Coalition representatives have announced daily protests following Alimpić’s decision to put the session off until July 14.

Vučić, who is the SRS-DSS-SPS coalition’s candidate for mayor, said that the acting mayor’s decision was unlawful, and said that he expected him to behave “rationally and democratically.“

Mladenović said that the newly-formed coalition had an absolute majority, and that 58 councilors were assembled outside the City Hall. He said that he expected the constitutive session to be held next week, and that further delays were in no-one’s interests.

Antić said that all the newly-formed coalition’s activities at city level would be united and democratic with the aim of reversing Alimpić’s decision.

He called on the mayor to “respect the will of the citizens.“

The move comes after acting Belgrade Mayor Zoran Alimpić said yesterday that he would not change his decision regarding the local assembly’s constitutive session despite the threat of protests from the opposition.

“I don’t understand why they’re protesting, I haven’t broken the law. It’s senseless,“ Alimpić told B92, adding that he had been surprised by the “fuss“ created as a result of his decision to call the constitutive session for July 14.

He said that the decision had been “legal“, as well as “politically motivated.“

The acting mayor said that it was the “duty of every normal Belgrade citizen“ to try and stop “a bad government that will do harm to Belgrade“ from coming to power.

He said that he could not stop the Serb Radical Party (SRS) assuming the reins of power, but that he could set a later date for the assembly’s constitutive session.

“I can’t stop it, but I’m trying to at least put it off a bit,“ said Alimpić.

Following insistence from the SRS, the SPS, and the DSS for a session to be called urgently, the acting mayor said that that coalition was “obviously not all that stable“ if it was in such a rush.

He said that a local government with the SRS, not to mention a republic government, would be bad because of the party’s ideology, which was now enshrined in the books of Hague accused and SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj.

Meanwhile, SRS deputy leader Tomislav Nikolić has said that the Radicals will not delay the constitution of the new Novi Sad assembly, adding that it could take place in 10 days’ time.

“In consultations with the SRS’s city board, we’ve decided that the constitutive session of the Novi Sad assembly should be held no later than 10 days from tomorrow,” said Nikolić.

The SRS deputy leader said that this would be possible provided all the parties submitted their lists of councilors by tomorrow.

The Novi Sad assembly has 78 seats, and the SRS, after four years in power, will move into opposition.