Daily Danas: Separation of Elections No Longer Among Opposition's Priority Demands

Pavle Grbovic (Photo: Media center Belgrade)

The separation of elections is no longer among the priority demands for the part of the opposition that expects help from European Parliament representatives in establishing free and democratic election conditions in Serbia, daily Danas reports in its Aug. 6 issue. 

Free Citizens Movement leader Pavle Grbovic said that this was one of the demands that the part of the opposition the Movement belonged to had sent to the European facilitators, but that it was not a priority since this group "is fighting to get elections and for people to vote freely in them."

"After the part of the opposition that expects help from Europe in democratizing the country failed to announce the news that the next presidential and Belgrade (City Assembly) elections, possibly the parliamentary ones as well, will be held at the same time, i.e. between March 20 and April 3, 2022, the question is whether they have tacitly given up on one of their main demands, on elections being held separately," says Danas.

The daily recalls that election monitoring, opening of the media and separation of the elections were the three key conditions of the opposition parties that are negotiating election conditions with representatives of the authorities via EU mediators.

"Separating elections is a good thing for any democratic system, which is why we are putting forward that demand, but it is not a priority given that we are primarily fighting to get elections and for people to vote freely in them, which is the first step, whereas potential separation is an upgrade," said Grbovic.