2008 Serbian parliamentary election

A pre-term parliamentary election will be held in the Republic of Serbia on 11 May 2008, barely a year after last parliamentary election. It is generally considered that the election will be the most anxious since 2000, considering that two blocks, the pro-European Union led by the Democratic Party and national conservative headed by the Serbian Radical Party, are clearly divided.

Background

The Serbian government has passed through weeks of severe crisis after the unilateral declaration of independence of its southern province of Kosovo on 17 February 2008. Its stability, however, was also tested and questioned before, being comprised by two very different political currents. The independence was gradually recognized by the United States and numerous European Union countries, leading relations with Serbia to a strain. Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) offered in late February to the Democratic Party (Serbia) (DS), which holds governmental majority, a restructuring of the governmental contract including an annex according to which Serbia can continue European exclusively with Kosovo as its integral part. The controversy was further heated up when Olli Rehn, the European Commissioner for enlargement of the European Union, offered to continue negotiations with Serbia. President Boris Tadić of the DS responded that European integrations of Serbia cannot be questioned by anyone or anything, and that since the province of Kosovo-Metohija is written into the constitution, meaning that the proposal would mean that the Constitution is being questioned.

After days of DS&G17+ utilized majority to outnumber the DSS-New Serbia (NS) populist coalition, the Premier finally constated on 8 March 2008 on a press conference that the government has fallen. He scheduled an irregular session of the Serbian government for 10 March 2008, in which his proposal to issue a request to the President to dismiss the parliament and schedule pre-term parliamentary elections for 11 May 2008, the same as the local elections. In case that doesn't occur, he announced his imminent resignation. Subsequently, all parliamentary leaders save for Ivica Dačić of the Socialist Party of Serbia who called for forming a government of national unity and Dragan Marković Palma of United Serbia, supported his proposal. Hours later, the President confirmed he will dismiss the parliament and schedule it upon receiving the government's request, although unlike the PM he stated that there is no dispute in the government regarding Kosovo, but exclusively regarding European integrations. The dissolution took place on 13 March 2008.

Lists

A list of registered electoral lists so far:

1. For a European Serbia – Boris Tadić (За европску Србију - Борис Тадић) (Democratic Party, G17 Plus, Sandžak Democratic Party, Serbian Renewal Movement)
2. Liberal Democratic Party – Čedomir Jovanović (Либерално демократска партија – Чедомир Јовановић)
3. Democratic Party of Serbia – New Serbia – Vojislav Koštunica (Демократска странка Србије – Нова Србија – Војислав Коштуница)
4. Serbian Radical Party – Dr Vojislav Šešelj (Српска Радикална Странка - Др Војислав Шешељ)
5. Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), – Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS) – United Serbia (JS) (Социјалистичка партија Србије (СПС), - Партија уједињних пензионера Србије (ПУПС) - Јединствена Србија (ЈС))

Campaign slogans

The parties' campaign slogans for the 2008 election:

	Party	English slogan	Serbian slogan
	European Coalition	Action speaks louder than words	Akcija umesto priče Акција уместо приче
	Populist Coalition	Support Serbia	Podrži Srbiju Подржи Србију
	Roma Union of Serbia	Courageous and Smart for a European Serbia	Hrabro i pametno za evropsku Srbiju Храбро и паметно за европску Србију
	SPS-PUPS-JS	Stand up Serbia	Ustani Srbijo Устани Србијо
	Liberal Democratic Party	Spread it around	Širi dalje Шиpи даље

Lists

European Coalition

President Boris Tadić has gathered a large pro-EU coalition around his DS and G17 Plus. On the list 166 candidates are from DS and 60 from G17+, among whom there is one seat for Oliver Ivanović's Serbian List for Kosovo-Metohija and another for the fraction of the Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement led by Veroljub Stevanović, mayor of Kragujevac. The list also has 8 members from each the Sanjak Democratic Party, Serbian Renewal Movement and League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina. 23 seats are guaranteed for G17+ (of which 1 for SDPO and 1 for SLKM), 4 seats and a Ministry in the future government for both SDP and SPO and 3 seats for LSV. However, if the alliance wins over 100 seats, their seats will gradually increase. The list's name is For a European Serbia – Boris Tadic and its leader is Dragoljub Mićunović.

Populist Coalition

The so-called "populist coalition" of the Prime Minister Kostunica's DSS and NS will run again. 70% of the seats will go to DSS and 30% to NS; of the latter one seat will be for Vojislav Mihailović's branch of the Serbian Democratic Renewal Movement. Its campaign slogan is Support Serbia!. It presented Kostunica as a candidate for PM.

Radicals

The Serbian Radical Party will run alone.

SPS-PUPS-JS

The Socialist Party of Serbia and the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia have strengthened their links by forming a coalition, on which United Serbia and Movement of Veterans of Serbia will be present. 151 candidates are from SPS (with 1 from PVS), 69 from PUPS and 30 from JS. The Socialists' presidential candidate Milutin Mrkonjić as been presented for Prime Minister.

Liberals

Liberal Democratic Party, Social Democratic Union and the Christian Democratic Party of Serbia formed pre-electoral coalition. The lists' name is LDP – Čedomir Jovanović (ЛДП – Чедомир Јовановић) and Jovanović is its candidate for Prime Minister.

Minorities

The Party for Democratic Action is determined to go on the election and gather the ethnic Albanian minority parties from the Presevo Valley. The Hungarian Coalition of Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Democratic Fellowship of Vojvodina Hungarians and Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians of will run after the presidential elections success in an attempt to strengthen the Magyar minority's representation. The Roma Union of Serbia will run too, its slogan being Courageous and Smart for a European Serbia; on its list the ex legendary football club Red Star trainer and player Dragan Džajić, currently in custody for alleged links with the football mafia, will be present. The Civic Initiative of Gora will run for the first time represent the Goranis in the Serbian parliament for the very first time. The Bosniak Democratic Party of Sanjak is gathering a Bosniac List – For a European Sanjak – Sulejman Ugljanin (Бошњачка листа – За европски Санџак – Сулејман Угљанин) coalition. The newly-formed Montenegrin Party started gathering signatures for the election, the first ethnic Montenegrin political party in Serbia.

Others

Goran Davidović of the National Engine Neo-Nazi movement announced the formation of a "National Serb Party" that will run at the election. Branislav Lečić's Movement "My Serbia" will run independent as well. The Patriotic Party of the Diaspora will run in an attempt to increase representation of the diaspora for Serbia. A New Radical Party has been founded by Radical dissidents who claim the SRS left its original program from 1991 and want to restore it to the political scene.

Possible government

SRS has declared post-electoral cooperation forming a government with DSS, which in turn didn't disregard this possibility, but stated that there will be no more cooperation with DS or G17+, on the allegation that they do not really want to protect Kosovo. NS excluded cooperation with G17+ and LSV, calling them "anti-state" parties who "had brought down the government twice", but also did not rule out a coalition with the SRS, and furthermore claimed that the DS had talked with the DSS about throwing G17+ out of the government and having it supported by the SPS. SPS-PUPS-JS confirmed it's determined to form a post-electoral coalition with SRS and DSS-NS and excluded the possibility of any cooperation with the Europeists.

The European Coalition excluded all cooperation with SRS and stated that all other coalitions are in option, as long as they accept the pro-EU cause and the five principles of the former government. Regarding coalition with DSS, Kostunica can no longer count on the PM seat. LDP however, excluded the possibility to take part in any government with DSS, SPS or NS under any circumstance.

Polls

A poll of TSN Medium Gallup released on 21 March 2008 (conducted from 6 to 13 March) gave the following results:

• DS-G17+: 39.9% - 105 seats
• SRS: 37.1% - 95 seats
• DSS-NS: 10.4% - 26 seats
• SPS: 5.4% - 14 seats
• minorities: 10 seats
• LDP: 3.1% - 0 seats

Strategic Marketing's poll from 17, 18 and 19 March 2008:

• SRS - 39%
• DS Coalition - 37%
• DSS-NS - 10%
• LDP - 6%
• SPS-PUPS-JS - 6%
• others - 2%

On the question of priorities:

• EU - 44%
• Kosovo - 43%
• undecided - 13%

See also

• 2008 Serbian elections in Kosovo

External links

• Republic Electoral Commission