The joint boycott was the first step in achieving joint action that leads to the political success required for the radical changes needed in the opposition. We at the Democratic Party initiated such changes.
This was another irregular election. There is no winner in such elections. A large number of votes went to Aleksandar Vučić and his SNS, but this can’t essentially be called a triumph, not only because of unequal conditions but also because the violent usurping of politics has led to the fact that the parliament will be left without any opposition representatives.
A parliament without opposition has no legitimacy. The story about the percentage of those who went to the polls in this irregular election is completely meaningless because the number of those who turned out cannot compensate for the fact that there is no freedom of the media, that pressure to vote was exerted, blackmail, threats; that no rule of law exists that would correct irregularities. Among other things, if the turnout was the only relevant measure of the democracy of the order, then Belarus or North Korea would be examples of democratic orders, and they certainly are not. In essence, an autocrat led a presidential campaign in local parliamentary elections and once again demonstrated his force, whilst disregarding democratic rules and customs, the rule of law, and even the health of Serbian citizens.
We want to return the party to the citizens. That’s the only way for us to act together to change Serbia
The citizens used the boycott to expose autocratic rule, and the opposition that boycotted the fraudulent elections passed the test of credibility and qualified to be the leader of essential changes. For such changes, it is important to reach a synergy between dissatisfied citizens and the opposition. The joint boycott was, however, the first step in achieving joint action that leads to the political success required for the radical changes needed in the opposition. We at the Democratic Party initiated such changes.
Apart from changes of an organisational and technical nature, it is necessary to destroy the internal monopolies within the party and to open the door wide to a large number of high-quality people who are ready to engage politically. That’s why we formed the Civic Democratic Club, which brings together independent intellectuals with whom we discuss important political issues. This is an important step but isn’t sufficient in itself. We must reach workers, farmers, members of the middle class who used to be our stronghold, coming to all strata of society.
