President's son elected as mayor of Kragujevac

President's son elected as mayor of Kragujevac

Nikolić previously was previously the head of the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) councilor group in the Kragujevac assembly.

Earlier in the day, the SNS managed to put together a coalition and vote the Kragujevac assembly president Saša Milenić out of office. Milenić's deputy from the Serb Renewal Movement (SPO) Milan Urošević first resigned, and was then elected as new assembly president.

The new assembly majority in Kragujevac is now made up of the SNS, the Socialists (SPS), the DSS, the SPO, and Movement for Our City - Nebojša Zdravković.

Speaking during a debate that led to the vote that elected Nikolić as mayor, Veroljub Stefanović accused the Progressives of seizing power in the town, "having done everything they could have to block it."

"Gentlemen, what you are doing has painted a clear picture of the Serbian reality. It is quarantine, threats, blackmail. It is what the prime minister said the other day - 'you can't but the will of the citizens.' You are just buying it, and that is Serbia," Stevanović said.

Addressing reporters and councilors after he was elected, Nikolić said Kragujevac has been in a difficult situation for the past 20 years and that he intended to manage the town with his team, which he "plans to increase."

Nikolić at the same time told the citizens that he "has no promises to make" because "difficult measures and difficult times await."

"We are going to change the entire system of city administration. However, I am afraid you did not elect me today to be your mayor, but bankruptcy manager, because the city companies are in a difficult situation," he pointed out.

Nikolić announced changes in the local policy and "cooperation with the government":

"The Serbian government will be our associate, we will not be quarreling with the government of our own country," he told a news conference.

Nikolić has a univerisity degree in management and has worked in the private and public sector, in Komercijalna Bank and Srbijagas.

He has been politically active since 2009 and was the head of the SNS in Kragujevac from 2010 to 2012. He was elected vice president of the SNS central committee in June 2012 and president of the executive committee in October the same year.