Djilas Claims All Opposition Parties Will Boycott Elections

Dragan Djilas/BRANISLAV BOZIC

Party of Freedom and Justice leader Dragan Djilas on Sept. 2 said that the decision to boycott the next vote under the current election conditions was final, stressing that all opposition parties would boycott the next elections.  

In an interview to TV N1, Djilas recalled that in February, the opposition had reached an agreement, committing to the people not to run in the next vote under the current conditions in Serbia. He noted that it represented an obligation as it was the only way for the opposition to show to the citizens that it was different from the ruling parties.

Asked how potential success of the boycott would be measured, Djilas replied that President Aleksandar Vucic could always forge the turnout at his own discretion, adding he was assured that ‘the true’ opposition would decide to boycott the elections.

He also said that anyone who would decide to run in the elections under the current conditions either wanted to win a mandate to ensure party funding or would do so in cooperation with Vucic.

Djilas stressed that the decision on the boycott was final and that no opposition party would run in the next elections.

“We have not been struggling for a boycott, but for free and fair elections. For that to be achieved, it is necessary to adopt 42 suggestions made by the opposition expert in relation to media outlets, election campaign by incumbent officials and technical issues such as the use of mobile phones, pressure, campaign funding… It is the minimum. For these suggestions to produce effect, they must be adopted six to nine months ahead of the next vote. Now, it is past the deadline. This is not a decision not to run in the vote on election day, but a decision to resist the madness we live in,” Djilas stressed.  

He went on to say that there was no possibility for the decision to be revised even possible changes to state public broadcaster RTS and the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) could not be implemented in such a short period of time until the next elections.  

“We will even relinquish the places where we currently have power – but we will not run in the elections,” Djilas stressed, noting that the incumbent authorities would be defeated in the first elections when media outlets would be only partially free.

Commenting on the accusations regarding his personal wealth, Djilas said he had been for years working and developing his business, noting that the right question to ask was about the wealth of the people currently in power.