2016 Serbian local elections

Local elections were held in all seventeen of Belgrade's municipalities.

The Progressive Party and its allies finished first in fourteen municipalities and ultimately formed government in all fourteen. The three municipalities that the Progressives did not win were New Belgrade, Stari Grad, and Vračar. In New Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić's independent list placed first, and Šapić was confirmed for a second term as mayor. In Stari Grad, the Democratic Party and its allies won the election and formed the local government. In Vračar, a multi-party coalition led by the Democratic Party narrowly defeated the Progressives, but the Progressives were able to form a government after splitting the coalition.

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Barajevo were as follows:

Slobodan Bata Adamović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. The local coalition government was formed by the Progressives, the Socialists, and Rade Tanasijević's Accord movement.[1]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Čukarica were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Srđan Kolarić of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election, with the support of twenty-nine delegates. The local governing alliance consisted of the Progressives, Socialists, and Radicals.[2]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Grocka were as follows:

The DS list did not receive five per cent of all votes cast and so did not cross the electoral threshold.

Dragoljub Simonović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[3] He resigned amid controversy in March 2019 and was replaced by Živadinka Avramović.[4]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Lazarevac were as follows:

Bojan Sinđelić of the Progressive Party was selected as mayor after the election, with the support of thirty-five delegates (out of thirty-nine who attended the session). The members of the Lazarevac–Out Home list were not present for the vote. Although the selection of a Progressive Party representative as mayor was expected, the choice of Sinđelić was surprising to many.[5]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Mladenovac were as follows:

Vladan Glišić of the Progressive Party (not to be confused with the future parliamentarian of the same name) was chosen as mayor after the election, with the support of thirty-eight delegates. The Socialist Party supported the administration.[7]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of New Belgrade were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Aleksandar Šapić was confirmed for another term in office with the support of twenty-six out of forty-seven delegates.[8]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Obrenovac were as follows:

The Private Citizens of Obrenovac list did not receive five per cent of the total vote and so did not cross the electoral threshold.

Incumbent mayor Miroslav Čučković of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[10]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Palilula were as follows:

Aleksandar Jovičić of the Progressive Party was selected as mayor after the election, which the support of thirty-four delegates. The local coalition government was formed by the Progressives, Socialists, and Radicals.[11]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Rakovica were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Vladan Kocić of the Progressive party was confirmed for a new term in office, receiving the votes of thirty delegates. The local coalition government was formed by the Progressives and the Socialists.[12] Zoran Krasić was elected at the head of the Radical Party list, although he resigned his mandate on 15 September 2016.[13][14]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Savski Venac were as follows:

Irena Vujović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. The local coalition government included the Progressives and the Socialists.[15] Parliamentarian Nataša Vučković was re-elected as a DS candidate.[16] Srđan Nogo, at the time a member of Dveri, appeared in the fifth position on the Democratic Party of Serbia–Dveri list and was not elected.[17][18]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Sopot were as follows:

Živorad Milosavljević of the Progressive Party, who had served as mayor of Sopot since 1989, was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[19]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Stari Grad were as follows:

Marko Bastać, at the time a member of the Democratic Party, was chosen as mayor by a secret ballot in May 2016 with the support of thirty-eight delegates. The Socialist Party participated in the local coalition government. The Progressives and Enough Is Enough subsequently indicated they would serve in opposition.[20] There was some confusion as to which other parties supported the coalition.[21] Future parliamentarian Uglješa Marković of the Socialist Party received a mandate on 29 September 2016 and served for the remainder of the term..[22]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Surčin were as follows:

The Movement for a Rich Municipality of Surčin list did not receive five per cent of the total vote and so fell below the electoral threshold.

Stevan Šuša of the Progressive Party was subsequently chosen as mayor, with the support of twenty-two delegates.[24]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Voždovac were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Aleksandar Savić of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election, by a vote of thirty-nine to fifteen. The local administration was supported by the Progressives, Socialists, and Radicals, as well as the Our Voždovac group (which split from the Dveri–Democratic Party of Serbia list).[25]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Vračar were as follows:

The Free Vračar alliance did not remain united after the election, and Milan Nedeljković of the Progressive Party was selected as mayor with the support of twenty-three delegates. The local coalition government was formed by the Progressive Party, the Socialist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party of Serbia. The opposition parties boycotted the vote.[26]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Zemun were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Dejan Matić of the Progressive Party was confirmed for a new term in office after the election.[27] The Serbia Is Winning list formed a local coalition government with the Radical Party. Aleksandar Šešelj, who was elected to the assembly at the head of the Radical Party list, served as a member of the municipal council (i.e., the executive branch of the government) from 17 June 2016 to 27 October 2017.[28][29][30][31]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Zvezdara were as follows:

Miloš Ignjatović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election, with the support of twenty-nine delegates. The government was supported by the Socialists and the Mirijevo list.[32]

Local elections were held in the one city (Zrenjanin) and all four of the municipalities in the Central Banat District. The Progressive Party and its allies won majority victories in Zrenjanin and Sečanj and plurality victories in Novi Bečej and Žitište. An independent list won the election in Nova Crnja; the leader of the list joined the Progressive Party after the election.

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Zrenjanin were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Čedomir Janjić of the Progressive Party was confirmed in office after the election, with the support of the Socialists and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.[33]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Nova Crnja were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Pera Milankov joined the Progressive Party after the election and was confirmed for another term as mayor.[34] In 2018, he was convicted of giving and accepting bribes and given a prison sentence of one year and ten months; as the sentence was not final pending an appeal, he continued to serve as mayor.[35] He was dismissed in June 2019 and replaced by fellow Progressive Party member Vladimir Brakus.[36]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Novi Bečej were as follows:

Saša Maksimović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election, with support from the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and members of Milovoj Vrebalov's group.[37]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Sečanj were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Predrag Milošević of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election. He died on 15 April 2017 and was replaced by Predrag Rađenović, also of the Progressive Party.[38][39]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Žitište were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Mitar Vučurević of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[40]

Local elections were held in the one city (Subotica) and both of the municipalities in the North Bačka District. The Progressive Party won plurality victories in Subotica and Mali Iđoš, while the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians was successful in Bačka Topola (where the Progressives joined a coalition government after the election).

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Subotica were as follows:

Bogdan Laban of the Serbian Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. The Progressives and their allies governed in a coalition with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.[41]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Bačka Topola were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Gabor Kišlinder of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians was confirmed for a new term in office after the election. The government was formed by the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and the Serbian Progressive Party.[42]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Mali Iđoš were as follows:

Marko Lazić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[43]

Local elections were held in the one city (Kikinda) and all five municipalities of the North Banat District. The Progressive Party and its allies won a majority victory in Kikinda as well as plurality victories in Čoka and Novi Kneževac, forming government in all three jurisdictions. The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians won plurality victories Kanjiža and Senta and in both cases formed a coalition government with the Progressives. An independent list won in Ada; its leader joined the Progressives later in the year.

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Kikinda were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Pavle Markov of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election. The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians participated in the city's coalition government.[44]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Ada were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Zoltán Bilicki of the For Our Municipality list was confirmed for another term in office after the election. He joined the Progressive Party in December 2016.[45]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Čoka were as follows:

Stana Đember of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. The government was formed by the Progressives and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.[46]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Kanjiža were as follows:

Róbert Fejsztámer of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians was chosen as mayor after the election. The Progressive Party participated in the local government.[47]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Novi Kneževac were as follows:

Radovan Uverić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[48]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Senta were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Rudolf Czegledi of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians was confirmed for another term in office after the election. The Progressive Party participated in the local government.[49]

Local elections were held in the one city (Novi Sad) and ten of the eleven separate municipalities of the South Bačka District. The exception was Vrbas, which was on a different four-year electoral cycle at the time.

The City of Novi Sad comprises two municipalities (the City municipality of Novi Sad and Petrovaradin), although their powers are very limited relative to the city government. Unlike Belgrade, Niš, and Vranje, Novi Sad does not have directly elected municipal assemblies.

The Progressive Party and its allies placed first in all cities and municipalities that held elections, and members of the Progressive Party were subsequently chosen as mayors in all jurisdictions.

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Novi Sad were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Miloš Vučević of the Progressive Party was confirmed for a second term in office after the election, by a vote of fifty-two to twenty-two (with four invalid votes). The government was supported by the Progressives, the Socialists, and the League of Social Democrats.[50] Milorad Mirčić, who served as the city's mayor in the 1990s, was re-elected to the assembly on the Radical Party list.[51]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Bač were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Dragan Stašević of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[52] He was replaced by Borislav Antonić of the same party on 10 October 2017.[53]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Bačka Palanka were as follows:

Branislav Šušnica of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[54]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Bački Petrovac were as follows:

Srđan Simić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[55]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Bečej were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Vuk Radojević of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election, with the support of twenty-eight of the thirty-three delegates who were present.[56] He was replaced later in the year by Dragan Tošić of the same party.[57]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Beočin were as follows:

Mitar Milinković of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[58]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Srbobran were as follows:

Neško Čestić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[59] He was replaced by his party colleague Radivoj Paroški on 6 July 2017.[60]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Sremski Karlovci were as follows:

Nenad Milenković of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[61]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Temerin were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Đuro Žiga of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[62]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Titel were as follows:

Dragan Božić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[63]

There was no election for the Municipal Assembly of Vrbas in 2016. The previous election had taken place in 2013; the next election took place in 2017.

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Žabalj were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Čedomir Božić and his independent group joined the Progressives after the election, and Božić was confirmed for another term in office.[64][65]

Local elections were held in the one city (Sombor) and two of the other three municipalities in the West Bačka District. The exception was Odžaci, where the most recent local election had taken place in 2013. The Serbian Progressive Party and its allies won the elections and formed government in all jurisdictions that held elections.

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Sombor were as follows:

Dušanka Golubović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[66]

Parliamentarian Žika Gojković was elected to the assembly from the first position on the SPO list; he resigned his seat on 22 June 2016.[67]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Apatin were as follows:

Radivoj Sekulić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[68] He was replaced by Milan Škrbić of the same party in January 2017.[69]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Kula were as follows:

Perica Videkanjić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. He stood down in May 2018 and was replaced by Velibor Milojičić, who in turn resigned in September of the same year, prompting new local elections. After resigning, Milojočić served as leader of a provisional administration.[70]

There was no election for the Municipal Assembly of Odžaci in 2016. The previous election had taken place in 2013 and the next election took place in 2017.

Local elections were held in the one city (Čačak) and two of the three other municipalities in the Moravica District. The Progressive Party and its allies were successful in all three of the jurisdictions that held elections.

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Čačak were as follows:

Milun Todorović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor following the election, with the support of forty-six delegates.[71] Biljana Rubaković, who briefly served in the national assembly, was elected from the third position on Dveri's list.[72]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Gornji Milanovac were as follows:

Dejan Kovačević of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[73][74]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Ivanjica were as follows:

Zoran Lazović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[75]

There was no election for the Municipal Assembly of Lučani in 2016. The previous election had taken place in 2014, and the next took place in 2018.

Local elections were held in the one city (Kragujevac) and five of the six other municipalities of the Šumadija District. The exception was Aranđelovac, where the last election had been held in 2014.

The Progressives and their allies won plurality victories in Kragujevac, Batočina, and Knić and formed government in all three communities. In Topola, an alliance led by the Progressives and New Serbia won a majority victory. The Serbian Renewal Movement won a narrow plurality victory in Lapovo and formed a coalition government with the Progressives; a member of the Serbian Renewal Movement initially served as mayor but was replaced by a Progressive Party member in 2017.

The Social Democratic Party won a narrow victory in Rača; shortly after the election, the party's entire elected membership joined the Progressives.

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Kragujevac were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Radomir Nikolić of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[76]

There was no election for the Municipal Assembly of Aranđelovac in 2016. The previous election had taken place in 2014, and the next took place in 2018.

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Batočina were as follows:

Zdravko Mladenović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[77]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Knić were as follows:

Zoran Đorović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. He resigned in July 2018 and was replaced by Miroslav Nikolić of the same party.[78][79]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Lapovo were as follows:

Saša Ivković of the Serbian Renewal Movement was chosen as mayor after the election, in an alliance with the Progressive Party.[80][81] The Serbian Renewal Movement split in 2017, and Ivković and his assembly group joined the breakaway Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia.[82] He stood down on 21 September 2017 and was replaced by Boban Miličić of the Progressive Party.[83]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Rača were as follows:

Nenad Savković of the Social Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[84] Shortly thereafter, the Social Democratic Party's entire municipal board (including Savković) resigned its membership. They later joined the Progressives.[85][86]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Topola were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Dragan Živanović of New Serbia was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[87] New Serbia split in early 2017, and Živanović aligned himself with Dragan Jovanović's Better Serbia.

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	SNS coalition: Aleksandar Vučić–Serbia Is Winning (Serbian Progressive Party, Party of United Pensioners of Serbia, New Serbia, Social Democratic Party of Serbia, Movement for a Positive Užice, Strength of Serbia Movement, Movement of Socialists)	17,131	45.25	34
	DS coalition: Jovan Marković–The Best for Užice (Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, Serbian People's Party, New Party)	7,548	19.94	15
	SPS coalition: "Ivica Dačić–Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), United Serbia (JS) Dragan Marković Palma, Active Serbia (AS)"	4,508	11.91	8
	SRS list: Dr. Vojislav Šešelj–Serbian Radical Party	2,392	6.32	4
	Democratic Party of Serbia-Dveri, Složno-Užički!	2,284	6.03	4
	Citizens' Group: For Change	1,730	4.57	–
	ZS list: Green Party, Prof. Dr. Miloš Tasić	1,365	3.61	2
	SPO list: Serbian Renewal Movement	902	2.38	–
Total		37,860	100.00	67
Valid votes		37,860	97.00
Invalid/blank votes		1,171	3.00
Total votes		39,031	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		68,004	57.40
Source: Službeni List (Grada Užica), 2016 Number 11 (25 April 2016), pp. 1-3.

Incumbent mayor Tihomir Petković of the Serbian Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[88]

Local elections were held for the City Assembly of Niš, the assemblies in all five of Niš's constituent municipalities, and the assemblies in all six of the Nišava District's other municipalities.

The Progressive Party and its allies won all of the elections in Niš. Outside the city, the results were mixed. The Progressives were successful in Aleksinac and Doljevac, and a coalition of the Progressives and United Peasant Party won in Svrljig. The Progressives also won the election in Merošina, although local divisions in the party led to an unstable governing alliance in the years that followed. The Socialists won Gadžin Han, and incumbent mayor Dobrica Stojković led New Serbia to a rare majority victory in Ražanj.

The results of the election for the City Assembly of Niš were as follows:

Darko Bulatović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor following the election, with the support of forty-six delegates.[89]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Crveni Krst were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Miroslav Milutinović of the Progressive Party was confirmed in office for another term, by a unanimous vote of the delegates present.[90]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Medijana were as follows:

Milan Krstić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[91] The government was formed by the Progressives, the Socialists, and the "Sincerely for Niš" group. Krstić resigned in September 2017 and was replaced by Nebojša Kocić, who had previously left the Democratic Party to join the Progressives.[92][93]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Niška Banja were as follows:

Dejan Jovanović of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[95]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Palilula, Niš, were as follows:

Aleksandar Ždrale of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election with the support of twenty-two delegates.[96]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Pantelej were as follows:

Bratimir Vasiljević of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[98]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Aleksinac were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Nenad Stanković of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[99]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Doljevac were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Goran Ljubić of the Progressive Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.[100]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Gadžin Han were as follows:

Incumbent mayor Saša Đorđević of the Socialist Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election, with the support of the Democratic Party.[101] He stood down in March 2019 following a recalibration of political forces in the community; his replacement was Marija Cvetković, a former Socialist who had joined the Progressives.[102][103]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Merošina were as follows:

There were several changes in the municipal administration of Merošina between 2016 and 2020, amid ongoing divisions in the ranks of the Progressive Party.

Sanja Stajić of the Progressives was chosen as mayor after the election.[105] She was replaced by Saša Jovanović of the same party in February 2018.[106] The administration was reshuffled in May 2018, and Bojan Nešić was chosen as the municipality's new mayor – Nešić had been elected on the "Naprednjaci" list, which by this time had affiliated itself with the Socialist Party.[107] The "Naprednjaci" group later merged into the Progressives. In September 2018, Nešić resigned as mayor and Jovanović returned to office.[108] The municipal assembly was ultimately dissolved in August 2019, and Sanja Stajić was named as president of an interim administration that governed the municipality until new elections were held in 2020.[109]

The results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Ražanj were as follows: