Sapic: I’m Planning for a Full Mandate

Aleksandar Sapic (BetaPhoto/Milan Obradovic)

Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Sapic has said that he will be proceeding as if his full mandate is guaranteed despite the possibility that early elections for the capital’s administration will be held next year.

Sapic told the NIN weekly that he is unaware whether an agreement regarding the 2023 Belgrade elections has been reached between Freedom and Justice Party leader Dragan Djilas and Serbian President – and leader of the Serbian Progressive Party – Aleksandar Vucic. Sapic added that should the opposition unitedly support said elections, they will likely be held.

The weekly further asked the mayor about the status of two widely publicized and controversial projects:  the construction of an aerial tramway between the historic Kalemegdan fort and New Belgrade, and the relocation of the Old Sava Bridge.

Sapic responded that, “to [his] knowledge”, the tramway is pending a court ruling on whether it will compromise Kalemegdan’s cultural and historical integrity. If the court ruling is affirmative, the project will be abandoned, Sapic said. If the ruling is negative, construction “will probably” move forward.

With regards to the relocation of the Old Sava Bridge, the mayor clarified that the project actually involves “the erection of a new bridge” and is well under way, as is the planned construction of a new interchange in New Belgrade.

Sapic further said that he will not participate in the opening this year’s Europride as the event is not being organized by the City of Belgrade, but that he does not wish to display xenophobia or homophobia because he believes that members of the LGBT community should have the same rights as all other citizens.