Djilas announces he will run for Belgrade mayor

Djilas announces he will run for Belgrade mayor

"I have decided to run for Belgrade mayor and to do everything in my power to stop the downfall of Serbia's capital city. Now I can put my signature and guarantee with all my assets that everything that depends exclusively on us, and not on the state authorities, will be done within 12 months of assuming power in the city," Djilas said.

Djilas also said he was assured that there was still time to reach an agreement and make him a candidate on a single ticket backed by the opposition.

"And I believe that we will easily come to an agreement if party leaders act primarily as Belgraders and only then as party leaders... I know that a large number of voters think: 'There is no chance, they will win again. And I am telling you they will not! There is a chance! When Slobodan Milosevic was in power, we thought that he would hang onto power for another 100 years, but he was toppled," he said.

Djilas further said he never thought that he would never again engage in politics, but that he neither thought that Serbia could get a government that would be worse than the one during Milosevic's rule, which he had fought against in his youth, when he had organized student protest.

Djilas' return to politics ahead of the local elections in Belgrade - that are yet to be scheduled - has been talked about for months. Many in the opposition see the vote as having "key importance in the fight against the regime of Aleksandar Vucic."

So far, Sasa Jankovic's Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) has offered Djilas the strongest support, calling at the same time on others to do the same.

DS leader Dragan Sutanovac said in November that the time had come for "Djilas to support the DS" - while the DJB Movement, led by Sasa Radulovic, ruled out the possibility of siding with the former mayor.

Djilas is expected to be supported by Vuk Jeremic's People's Party, that is "closely collaborating" with the PSG.

New Party leader Zoran Zivkovic said in the past that their candidate for mayor would be Vesna Rakic-Vodinelic.

The Dveri Movement has not made any statements regarding the mayoral bid of Djilas.

Meanwhile, Vucic's SNS party is in power in Belgrade, with Sinisa Malic continuing to serve as mayor - although Vucic said earlier in the year that he would step down.

There is speculation that Mali will remain in the post for another term, while the SNS announced they would go to the elections "with a team, not a single name."