The student list, which has been speculated about for months, is finally ready, or rather nearing completion, students in the blockade confirmed for Nova.rs. And professor of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, Jovo Bakić, stated that it is time to go public with the names, while students say that they are keeping them in strict secrecy until the elections are called.
The information that the student list has been formed was confirmed for Nova by Aleksandar Novović, a student of the Faculty of Law in Belgrade.
“The student list has been formed or is almost at the end, but the official position is that the students will not come out with the list until the elections are called,” says Nova’s interlocutor.
He adds that, if there are any changes, it will be a collective decision.
“A very small number of people from the student movement know the list. Mostly people only know the candidates from their faculty. The candidates are kept in the strictest secrecy due to possible media dragging,” the student says for Nova.
Although the students are, apparently, ready – the president is not, Nova.rs writes.
Thus, Aleksandar Vučić last week stated that there is a possibility that early elections in Serbia will be held in April, May or December of next year.
And professor of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, Jovo Bakić, stated that, “as far as he knows,” the student list has been “factually formed” and believes that “the time has come to go public with the names of at least ten of those who will be at the top of the list.”
“These people could talk to representatives of various countries, but also communicate with the domestic public and citizens. It is true, they will be the target of the regime’s propaganda, but that is something that comes with the job. Whoever has agreed to be on the list must be ready for that,” Bakić said in an interview for the weekly Vreme.
As he stated, “two truly opposition lists, one student and one party – that could be a good solution, which will imply not attacking each other,” and added:
“Well, whoever doesn’t want to vote for these, let them vote for those,” Nova.rs reports.
He said that behind the fact that the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, dares not call elections “hides a huge fear of losing freedom after them.”
“If the regime accidentally wins, and I am convinced that it will not, we will simply lose the ability to exist both as a society and as individuals. We will be faced with a choice: either we will leave the country or we will become slaves of organized crime,” Bakić emphasised.
“I would like it to be in December of next year. I would resign a little earlier as the president of the Republic, with less than 10 years, I can no longer be president. Let’s all go together to honest elections in December. By December of next year, people will be able to see what we will do, what we will create,” said Vučić.
What do we know so far about the student list and their program?
We learned a little more about what the student list could look like from the program that the students shared at one of the gatherings in Belgrade in early June.
In their program, the students highlighted the fight for the realization of key social changes, including the fulfilment of student demands, media freedom, fair elections, an independent judiciary, the fight against corruption, safe buildings and environmental protection. They advocate for reforms in public enterprises, healthcare, education, science, culture and agriculture, as well as for the improvement of workers’ rights and local self-government. They place special emphasis on direct democracy, political responsibility and the preservation of national sovereignty.
As Nova reminds, the students explained that a candidate on their list must be an adult citizen of the Republic of Serbia, who is not a student, has never been a member of the ruling coalition, nor an official of the parliamentary opposition, nor a member of the executive or legislative branch. Also, they must fully respect the list’s program.
Let’s remember, half a year after the collapse of the canopy that killed 16 people at the Railway Station in Novi Sad, students of all Serbian faculties demanded that early parliamentary elections be called.
The students demanded the immediate dissolution of the National Assembly and the calling of early parliamentary elections in accordance with Article 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.
They also called on all citizens to support the list to which the students will transfer their trust.
“We believe that democracy is the only correct way to solve a political crisis of this magnitude, therefore we call on the people to support the list to which the students, in the blockade of all higher education institutions on the territory of Serbia, will transfer their trust, so that truth may prevail on the scales of justice,” the students stated at the time.
MORE TOPICS:
Source: Nova.rs, Photo: ATA Images