2009 Serbian local elections

A small number of municipalities in Serbia held local elections in 2009. These were not part of the country's regular cycle of local elections but instead took place in certain jurisdictions where either the local government had fallen or the last local elections for four-year terms had taken place in 2005.

All local elections in 2009 were held under proportional representation. The direct election of mayors had been introduced in 2002 but was subsequently abandoned in 2007; in 2009, mayors were chosen by elected members of the local assemblies. Parties were required to cross a five per cent electoral threshold to win representation in the local assembles in 2009, although this requirement was waived for parties representing national minority communities.

Results

Note: The first percentage column refers to the percentage of valid votes received by each list. The second column refers to the percentage of all votes. Lists were required to receive five per cent of all votes to cross the electoral threshold.

Voždovac

The municipal assembly of Voždovac was dissolved on 5 March 2009, after the resignation in January of the municipality's mayor, Goran Lukačević, and the president of its municipal assembly.[1] Lukačević continued to lead a provisional administration pending new elections, which took place on 7 June.

The results of this election were as follows:

PartyVotes%Seats
SNS list: Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić14,19030.8318
DS coalition: For a European Voždovac–Boris Tadić (Democratic Party, G17 Plus)13,78529.9517
DSS coalition: Democratic Party of Serbia–New Serbia–People's Party–Vojislav Koštunica5,69612.377
SPS coalition: Socialist Party of Serbia–Party of United Pensioners of Serbia–United Serbia–Ivica Dačić4,85910.566
SRS list: Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj2,9086.323
LDP list: Liberal Democratic Party–Čedomir Jovanović2,4815.393
SDP coalition: "List for Tolerance–Rasim Ljajić" (Sandžak Democratic Party, Roma Social Democratic Party)1,5763.422
PS list: Movement of Socialists–Aleksandar Vulin3880.84–
Party "Serbian Accord"–Ljubomir Simić880.19–
Serbian People's Party580.13–
Total46,029100.0056
Valid votes46,02998.18
Invalid/blank votes8551.82
Total votes46,884100.00
Registered voters/turnout148,49731.57
Source: Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 31 (15 June 2009), p. 2.

Parliamentarian Marina Raguš led the Radical Party's list and took a seat in the municipal assembly afterwards.[2][3]

Post-election negotiations for a coalition government were not successful, and another municipal election was held on 6 December 2009. The results of this election were as follows:

PartyVotes%Seats
SNS list: Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić23,21337.7526
DS coalition: For a Better Voždovac–Boris Tadić (Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party of Serbia)17,82929.0020
DSS coalition: Democratic Party of Serbia–New Serbia–Vojislav Koštunica5,3678.736
SPS coalition: Socialist Party of Serbia–Party of United Pensioners of Serbia–United Serbia–Ivica Dačić4,0976.664
LDP list: Liberal Democratic Party–Čedomir Jovanović2,9624.82–
G17 Plus list: G17 Plus–Mlađan Dinkić2,7564.48–
SRS list: Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj2,2393.64–
NP list: People's Party–Maja Gojković1,4632.38–
None of the Above5170.84–
GEPS for Voždovac[4]–Prof. Dr. Jovan Filipović4880.79–
Veterans' Party of Serbia–General Vukajlo Čađenović2030.33–
Serbia 21–Ivan Markov1930.31–
Forward for the Municipality of Avalski Venac–Zdravko Pršić870.14–
Serbian Accord–Ljubomir Simić740.12–
Total61,488100.0056
Valid votes61,48898.13
Invalid/blank votes1,1731.87
Total votes62,661100.00
Registered voters/turnout149,36241.95
Source: Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 54 (7 December 2009), pp. 1-2.

Aleksandar Savić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[5]

Marina Raguš received the second position on the Radical Party's list.[6]

Zemun

The municipal assembly of Zemun was dissolved on 5 March 2009, after the assembly failed to adopt its municipal statute by the required deadline. (There was also controversy over a number of disputed mandates claimed by the Radical Party.)[7] Zdravko Stanković of the Democratic Party led a provisional authority pending new elections on 7 June.[8]

The results of the election were as follows:

PartyVotes%Seats
SNS list: Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić18,29634.6123
DS coalition: "For a European Zemun–Boris Tadić" (Democratic Party, G17 Plus)14,91328.2119
SRS list: Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj5,38610.196
SPS coalition: Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS)–Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS)–United Serbia (JS)–List for Zemun–Ivica Dačić3,8587.304
DSS coalition: Democratic Party of Serbia–New Serbia–People's Party–Vojislav Koštunica3,7777.154
Zemun Movement–Prof. Miša Krstić2,5554.83–
LDP list: Liberal Democratic Party–Čedomir Jovanović2,1244.02–
SDP coalition: "List for Tolerance–Rasim Ljajić" (Sandžak Democratic Party, Roma Social Democratic Party)1,1922.251
PS list: "Movement of Socialists–Aleksandar Vulin"6751.28–
Party of Serbian Accord[9]–Ana Pavlović860.16–
Total52,862100.0057
Valid votes52,86298.22
Invalid/blank votes9601.78
Total votes53,822100.00
Registered voters/turnout152,17935.37
Source: Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 30 (11 June 2009), pp. 23-24.

Branislav Prostran of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[10]

Vrbas

The municipal government of Vrbas was dismissed in June 2009 following a breakdown in the local coalition and a non-functioning municipal assembly, and a new election was scheduled for 18 October 2009.[11] Željko Vidović of the Democratic Party was appointed as the leader of a provisional administration prior to the election. An explosive device was detonated under his car shortly after he accepted this position, although no-one was in the vehicle at the time.[12]

The results of the election were as follows:

Electoral List Votes  % Seats
For a European Vrbas–Boris Tadić 7,515 36.96 35.88 15
SPS–PUPS–JS–Ivica Dačić 3,936 19.36 18.79 8
Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić 2,878 14.16 13.74 6
Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj 1,563 7.69 7.46 3
DSS–NS–Vojislav Koštunica 1,249 6.14 5.96 2
Liberal Democratic Party–League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina–List for the Villages 1,138 5.60 5.43 2
Citizens' Group: There Is Hope 597 2.94 2.85 -
Movement of Socialists–Aleksandar Vulin 545 2.68 2.60 -
Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians–István Pásztor 340 1.67 1.62 -
Za Vrbas U Plusu–G17 Plus 305 1.50 1.46 -
Reformists of Vojvodina–We Love Vojvodina 266 1.31 1.27 -
20,332 100 97.08 36
Source: Službeni List (Opštine Vrbas), Volume 44 Number 23 (24 November 2009), p. 464.

A new coalition government was formed after the election by the Democratic Party, the Socialist Party, and other parties. Željko Vidović was chosen as mayor.[13][14] He resigned in 2012 and was replaced by Milan Stanimirović, also of the Democratic Party.

References
  1. Lana Gedošević, "DS pobedio na Voždovcu, SNS u Zemunu", Blic, 8 June 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
  2. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 52 Number 26 (28 May 2009), p. 3.
  3. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 40 (26 August 2009), p. 29.
  4. The party's name stood for "Group for the Prosperity of Serbia." See "Važno je da Voždovac dobije vlast", Blic, 30 November 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
  5. "Izabran predsednik SO Voždovac", Radio Television of Serbia, 31 January 2014, accessed 14 October 2021.
  6. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 52 (25 November 2009), p. 5.
  7. Lana Gedošević, "DS pobedio na Voždovcu, SNS u Zemunu", Blic, 8 June 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
  8. "Prinudna uprava juče preuzela Zemun u 06.45", Politika, 17 March 2009, accessed 25 June 2018.
  9. This party was known in Serbian as the "Stranka Srpska sloga." Its name could alternately be translated as "Party of Serbian Unity," but it should not be confused with the Stranka srpskog jedinstva (SSJ), a different organization known in English by the latter name.
  10. "Branislav Prostran (SNS) novi predsednik opštine Zemun", Politika, 21 July 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
  11. "U Vrbasu izbori", Radio Television of Vojvodina, 28 July 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
  12. "Trotil za šefa Vrbasa", Novosti, 7 June 2009, accessed 19 March 2021.
  13. "VIDOVIĆ PREDSEDNIK, MARAŠEVA NA ČELU SO", Vesti (Source: Blic), 25 November 2009, accessed 19 March 2021.
  14. Dragoljub Petrović, "Kursadžije, partizani i Zvezde Granda", Danas, 27 October 2009, accessed 19 March 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.