Report: Liberal Democrats Suggest Provisional Gov’t Be Formed 6 Months Ahead of Next Vote To Prevent Boycott

Government headquarters (Photo: Beta / NENAD PETROVIC)

The Liberal Democratic Party, led by Cedomir Jovanovic, has suggested that a provisional government, comprising representatives of the authorities and the opposition, should be formed six months ahead of the next elections, to prevent the announced boycott by the opposition.

According to Belgrade daily Blic, party MP Nenad Milic presented the proposal in the Aug. 29 meeting with the former members of the European Parliament, Eduard Kukan and Knut Fleckenstein. The daily added that Jovanovic would present the proposal personally to President Aleksandar Vucic.

“The Liberal Democratic Party believes that a boycott of the elections would seriously ruin the country. Milic informed the two former MEPs of the proposal that could prevent such a scenario,” a source told the daily, which mentioned in the same article that Europe opposed the election boycott.

The party suggests that a provisional government, which would also include opposition parties, be set up six months prior to the next elections.

“Considering that the Party of Freedom and Justice is not represented in the Alliance for Serbia parliamentary group, while the Democratic Party is, it would pose no obstacle for the Democrats to delegate a Party of Freedom and Justice representative to a provisional government,” Blic reported.  The daily further wrote, citing its source, that Jovanovic’s party would also participate in a provisional government and thereby take the responsibility as the party which had initiated the proposal.

“Everything would be defined ahead, including the distribution of ministerial posts,” the source told the daily, noting that one of the opposition complains referred to campaigning by the incumbent officials, and the formation of a provision government would prevent such practice and enable the opposition to have control in the election process.