Opposition leader's strike: Farce or honorable gesture

Although SNS party chief Tomislav Nikolic on Sunday ended his hunger strike, his decision to start one is still the focus of political attention in the country. His opponents from the camp of the ruling parties dismiss it as a failure, but some in the opposition describe the strike as an honorable act. Opposition leader's strike: Farce or honorable gesture The week-long hunger, and initially also thirst strike, was meant to force the authorities to call early elections in Serbia. Considering that the leader of the Progressives failed to achieve this goal, it is unclear what the risky political move achieved at all. President of the League of Vojvodina Social-Democrats (LSV) Nenad Canak was one of the first to denounce the strike as a "farce", and says that "the whole story was fake from the beginning". "He said: 'I'll kill myself with hunger and thirst unless there are early elections.' A week later: 'it doesn't matter at all when elections will be held, what matters is that Serbia moves forward.' He turned out to be a man with no substance and that's now a taste hard to wash out," said Canak. The ruling Socialist Party (SPS) deputy president, Dusan Bajatovic, believes that the strike was a political failure for SNS in a pre-election year. The fact that the strike ended during a meeting with SPC Patriarch Irinej was Nikolic's attempt to find an honorable way out, says Bajatovic. "He was looking to save face, and managed through an indirect role of his holiness the patriarch and the Serbian Orthodox Church. In fact, it was an excuse to end this strike, which turned into a political failure," said the SPS official. He also stated that Nikolic's meeting with the SPS president and Serbia's deputy PM, Ivica Dacic - held at the Patriarchate on Sunday - had no political weight. One of Nikolic's allies, Aleksandar Vulin on the Movement of Socialists, however, does not agree that the strike was the wrong move. "Mr. Nikolic did that because he believed it was time to symbolically demonstrate that the country's institutions were not functioning," asserted Vulin, and added that elections were "still important", for the coalition gathered around Nikolic's party. "What he meant to do in this way, to draw attention to in this way, he could not do in parliament. Parliament is not debating early elections. Only the president of the republic does that," Vulin said in reference to Boris Tadic, who is also at the helm of the ruling Democrats (DS). "The president of the republic decides about everything, and about that as well. There's nobody to talk to. What has been done was perhaps the only way, or one of the ways, to make sure that no Benghazi, no violence happens in Serbia," concluded Vulin. Tomislav Nikolic (Tanjug, file)

Opposition leader's strike: Farce or honorable gesture

The week-long hunger, and initially also thirst strike, was meant to force the authorities to call early elections in Serbia.

Considering that the leader of the Progressives failed to achieve this goal, it is unclear what the risky political move achieved at all.

President of the League of Vojvodina Social-Democrats (LSV) Nenad Čanak was one of the first to denounce the strike as a "farce", and says that "the whole story was fake from the beginning".

"He said: 'I'll kill myself with hunger and thirst unless there are early elections.' A week later: 'it doesn't matter at all when elections will be held, what matters is that Serbia moves forward.' He turned out to be a man with no substance and that's now a taste hard to wash out," said Čanak.

The ruling Socialist Party (SPS) deputy president, Dušan Bajatović, believes that the strike was a political failure for SNS in a pre-election year.

The fact that the strike ended during a meeting with SPC Patriarch Irinej was Nikolić's attempt to find an honorable way out, says Bajatović.

"He was looking to save face, and managed through an indirect role of his holiness the patriarch and the Serbian Orthodox Church. In fact, it was an excuse to end this strike, which turned into a political failure," said the SPS official.

He also stated that Nikolić's meeting with the SPS president and Serbia's deputy PM, Ivica Dačić - held at the Patriarchate on Sunday - had no political weight.

One of Nikolić's allies, Aleksandar Vulin on the Movement of Socialists, however, does not agree that the strike was the wrong move.

"Mr. Nikolić did that because he believed it was time to symbolically demonstrate that the country's institutions were not functioning," asserted Vulin, and added that elections were "still important", for the coalition gathered around Nikolić's party.

"What he meant to do in this way, to draw attention to in this way, he could not do in parliament. Parliament is not debating early elections. Only the president of the republic does that," Vulin said in reference to Boris Tadić, who is also at the helm of the ruling Democrats (DS).

"The president of the republic decides about everything, and about that as well. There's nobody to talk to. What has been done was perhaps the only way, or one of the ways, to make sure that no Benghazi, no violence happens in Serbia," concluded Vulin.