Eight Opposition Parties Sign Agreement For Responsible Serbia

Belgrade panorama (BETAPHOTO/PETAR VUJANIC)

Representatives of eight opposition parties signed the Agreement for a Responsible Serbia on Feb. 17, on the initiative of public figures who have rallied around the Responsibility Appeal.

According to the report of Television N1, the Agreement consists of two articles and 8 paragraphs. In it, the opposition representatives pledged that they would not attack each other during the campaign, that they would cooperate in controlling the elections, not make post-electoral coalitions with representatives of the current authorities, that they would facilitate the independent work of the judiciary and the media, lead the country towards the EU and stop projects that damage the environment. The signatories also pledged that they would support the opposition candidate in the possible run-off vote in the presidential election and, in case of victory, support the nominees for prime minister and Belgrade mayor of the ticket that wins the most votes.

The agreement was signed on the premises of the Network for Democratic Dialogue by representatives of the Social Democratic Party, the Movement of Free Citizens, the New Party, the Democratic Party, the United Independent Unions Sloga, the Open Civil Platform Akcija, the Freedom and Justice Party and the Civil Democratic Forum.

Freedom and Justice Party leader Dragan Djilas stated after the signing that the opposition had united, that he had "not witnessed any dissonance," and that he would not enter into conflicts with opposition parties because "the regime is the common adversary." The president of the Social Democratic Party, Boris Tadic, said in the interview to TV N1 that the signing of the agreement was a step in the right direction and that he hoped it would define the currently undermined relations within the opposition in a different way.