Opposition: Serbian Progressive Party Using Criminals as Extension of Party

Konstantin Samofalov (BetaPhoto/Milos Miskov)

Social Democratic Party presidency member Konstantin Samofalov has said that the Serbian Progressive Party was maintaining hardened criminals and hooligans as part of the party, stressing that the opposition needs to unite, adopt a non-aggression pact and begin its struggle to "topple the regime."

"(Gang leader and suspect Veljko) Belivuk managed to stay out of prison in spite of murder indictments. He ground people in meat mincers. This went on for years during (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic's term. This is what we are talking about here, machines for mincing human flesh, the former phalanges of the Serbian Radical Party, now the Serbian Progressive Party, who have been killing for years, beating voters up, and cruising around election stations," Samofalov said in a interview with the NIN weekly.

Asked about the murder of Kosovo politician Oliver Ivanovic, Samofalov said that he did not believe that Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party would solve the political backdrop to the murder and recalled that pro-government media outlets had labeled him a traitor prior to the murder.

"The Serbian Progressive Party and Vucic have been politicizing the murder and it would suit them most for the case to never be solved because that does not suit them politically. He is staying in power through pressure, blackmail, bribery and by beating up voters. Once as an MP he said: 'One hundred Muslims for one Serb.' Several years later he became the country's biggest self-declared European. I don't believe that man no matter what he says," Samofalov stressed.