Former People’s Party Official: 90 Percent of Members to Transfer to New Movement

Miroslav Aleksic

Recently deposed People’s Party vice president Miroslav Aleksic has announced that 90 percent of the party’s members have decided to transfer to the People’s Movement of Serbia, which will be a right-wing pro-European party.

“Out of 126 local chapters, 106 have decided to follow me and will soon cancel their membership with the People’s Party. Only a few chapters have remained [with the People’s Party],” Aleksic told the Aug. 10 edition of the Danas daily, in response to the People’s Party reporting that only 264 members chose to leave alongside Aleksic.

Asked about his reasons for exiting the party, Aleksic cited fundamental differences in opinion regarding the party’s functioning and future, as well as the fact that “the People’s Party has not matured into a large and serious democratic organization, where the leadership is changeable.”

“Therefore, there was no possibility of changing leadership, and my former organization was more akin to an autocratic organization that disregards democratic principles and the opinions of lower-level members – who are, in fact, the organization’s driving force. We came to a point that those local chapters that differed in opinion [had their leadership] changed,” he explained.

Aleksic underlined that the new People’s Movement of Serbia is not an “enemy” to the People’s Party and stated that future cooperation is a possibility.