Serbian Opposition Rejects Snap Election, Demands an Interim Government of Experts

Dragan Djilas (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

In the wake of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic’s resignation, the Freedom and Justice Party leader and deputy leader, Dragan Djilas and Marinika Tepic respectively, have said that a snap election should not be on the table before all students’ demands have been met. “One it happens, then a transitional government should be formed that will prepare conditions for the next elections - media outlets, pressure on voters and vote controllers, vote buying, the electoral roll – and only then an election can be organized,” Djilas said.

Democratic Party leader Srdjan Milivojevic has said that no resignation can any longer calm down the people’s rage, adding it is now too late for them to try to clear their names with resignations. He stressed that his party would not be running in any election and that a resolution to the ongoing political crisis had to be dictated by the protesting citizens and students, while those accountable had to be urgently arrested and tried.

New Democratic Party of Serbia leader Milos Jovanovic said PM Vucevic’s resignation would not bring any change to the existing system or remove those in power, while replacing those in power would have to include free elections which could not be organized without setting up a provisional cabinet. 

Savo Manojlovic, the leader of the movement Get Going for Change, has said that with the PM’s resignation, “the regime wants to provoke a snap vote for to evade dealing with student protects”. “There can be no election. This momentum must not be lost to regime’s manipulations. We demand the formation of a transitional government of experts, with no regime or opposition representatives on board. The student plenums, with the support of their professors, should nominate ministers who will run the country during the transitional period,” Manojlovic specified. 

People’s Party leader Vladimir Gajic said that following PM Vucevic’s resignation, a snap vote would not go in favor of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, adding that the next elections would not be held before late 2026, considering that “the sitting parliamentary majority, by the law, can appoint members of a new cabinet after President Aleksandar Vucic nominates a premier-designate.” 

Movement Dveri has described Vucevic’s resignation as “cosmetic”, stressing that an interim government of experts along with Vucic’s resignation will be the only solution to the ongoing crisis. Dveri added that members of the interim cabinet should be nominated by university chancellors and all protesting student plenums. 

The People’s Movement of Serbia leader Miroslav Aleksic has said that with PM Vucevic’s resignation, the regime has admitted its accountability for everything that has been happening in Serbia, advising the regime “not to think about a snap election,” but rather to enable formation of a provisional government. 

The Green-Left Front has said that restoring normality in Serbia can be achieved only by relieving Aleksandar Vucic of all of his powers, stressing that the crisis could not be settled with a new Vucic-made government or his crooked election, but only with setting up a transitional government which would facilitate free elections.