{"id":217468,"date":"2026-09-02T14:56:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T12:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/?p=217468"},"modified":"2026-09-02T14:56:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T12:56:05","slug":"the-municipal-president-wanted-me-fired-because-i-am-a-blockader-student-list-candidate-in-secanj-left-without-a-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/serbiantimes.info\/en\/the-municipal-president-wanted-me-fired-because-i-am-a-blockader-student-list-candidate-in-secanj-left-without-a-job\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cTHE MUNICIPAL PRESIDENT WANTED ME FIRED BECAUSE I AM A \u2018BLOCKADER\u2019: Student list candidate in Se\u010danj left without a job!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Milica Jeli\u010di\u0107, who was on the list of the Citizens\u2019 Group \u201cVoice of Youth That Changes Se\u010danj\u201d in the<\/em><\/strong> local elections<\/a>in Se\u010danj on November 30, had her contract at the \u201cPoletarac\u201d Preschool expire on August 31, and it was not extended. According to Jeli\u010di\u0107, this was preceded by months of pressure that began as early as April, when she was first threatened with dismissal. In an interview with Nova, Jeli\u010di\u0107 reveals how the pressure on her unfolded, who was responsible, and what led to the situation in which she was left without a job.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the local elections held on November 30 in Se\u010danj, in which Milica Jeli\u010di\u0107 was a candidate for the Citizens\u2019 Group \u201cVoice of Youth That Changes Se\u010danj,\u201d<\/a> months of pressure and intimidation followed because of her political engagement and public criticism of the local authorities. According to her, the first concrete pressure began in April, when she was first threatened with dismissal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several months later, on August 31, Jeli\u010di\u0107\u2019s employment contract at the \u201cPoletarac\u201d Preschool in Se\u010danj officially expired, and her contract was not extended. She sees this move as the culmination of a process that, she claims, had a political background from the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview with Nova, Jeli\u010di\u0107 says that the decision not to extend her contract was not made because of her professional work, but rather represents \u201cpolitical retaliation by the local regime against someone who dared to think for herself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy \u2018guilt\u2019 is that for years I have openly criticized the ruling structure, pointed out their negligence, idleness, ignorance, arrogance and misconduct, and that in the recent local elections I was a candidate for the Citizens\u2019 Group \u2018Voice of Youth That Changes Se\u010danj,\u2019\u201d Jeli\u010di\u0107 states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How it all began<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to her claims, the first concrete attempt to terminate her employment occurred in April. Jeli\u010di\u0107 claims there was an intention to dismiss her through an expedited procedure, and names SNS coordinator Sa\u0161a Santovac and then-municipal president Neboj\u0161a Meljanac as the people who, according to what she learned, were involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMeljanac went so far as to personally call the director of the \u2018Poletarac\u2019 Preschool, Nata\u0161a Radenovi\u0107, and directly demand that the employment of the \u2018blockader,\u2019 that is, me, be terminated,\u201d Jeli\u010di\u0107 claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the attempt to terminate her employment at that time was not carried out. Jeli\u010di\u0107 responded to the pressure by addressing institutions and speaking out publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She filed a criminal complaint against director Nata\u0161a Radenovi\u0107 and SNS coordinator Sa\u0161a Santovac, contacted the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, and also spoke about her case in the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat completely disrupted their plans. What they were afraid of was the reaction of citizens and media pressure. They realized that an expedited dismissal at that moment would be a political own goal that would cost them far too much,\u201d Jeli\u010di\u0107 says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of dismissal \u2014 waiting for the contract to expire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeli\u010di\u0107 believes that the strategy was changed precisely because of public pressure. As she claims, after the case became public, the immediate dismissal was abandoned and it was decided to wait until the end of August, when her contract expired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey went quiet and waited for my contract to simply expire. They were afraid of an open conflict and the reaction of the public, so they decided that it would be politically much more convenient for them to simply let the contract expire,\u201d she states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, after several months of pressure, her contract officially expired on August 31, without being extended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe director is now trying to present this as her achievement\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeli\u010di\u0107 also addresses the role of the director of the \u201cPoletarac\u201d Preschool, Nata\u0161a Radenovi\u0107. According to her, the director is now trying to present the fact that Jeli\u010di\u0107 remained employed until the expiration of her contract as the result of her own efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe director is now trying to take credit for this move, claiming that she was supposedly the one who fought to keep me until the contract expired. However, the truth is that no director in the public sector can make any serious move without the permission of party structures,\u201d Jeli\u010di\u0107 says, adding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe director really was satisfied with my work, my responsibility and, I can freely say, my professional performance. Everything was fine until April. Later, that relationship was somehow forced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an additional example of the institutions\u2019 attitude toward her case, she cites the work of the Management Board of the \u201cPoletarac\u201d Preschool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of a total of nine members, Jeli\u010di\u0107 claims, only two members attended the two sessions she officially requested because of the pressure and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe other seven were \u2018prevented.\u2019 Yet those same members were very prompt when, shortly afterward, they needed to gather and, among other things, vote on the director\u2019s annual leave decision. I think that says enough about their attitude toward responsibility and work,\u201d she states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not a defeat for me\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For Jeli\u010di\u0107, the expiration of the contract is not an isolated event, but the final point in a process that, according to her claims, began back in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can manipulate dates and contracts, you can hide behind party coordinators, but you cannot silence the truth. This \u2018dismissal\u2019 is not a defeat for me. On the contrary, it is proof that I hit them where it hurts most \u2014 their fear of losing citizens\u2019 support, privileges and positions,\u201d Jeli\u010di\u0107 says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She thanks the citizens who supported her during the previous months, and particularly points out that there was no gathering in front of the \u201cPoletarac\u201d Preschool or the municipal building on August 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce again, we showed maturity by not gathering in front of the institution or the municipality. We did not give in to provocations and remained true to ourselves \u2014 calm, honest and dignified. I think that is the best response to everything that happened in the previous months,\u201d Jeli\u010di\u0107 says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expiration of her contract, she emphasizes, will not mark the end of her public engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy fight for justice, freedom of thought and a life worthy of a human being continues. I will make an effort to make my voice heard farther and louder. I will direct my energy toward supporting the students, as well as the Citizens\u2019 Group \u2018Voice of Youth That Changes Se\u010danj\u2019. This is not the end and not a defeat, but simply a new phase of the struggle and an even stronger wind at our backs,\u201d Jeli\u010di\u0107 concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HUMAN AND SPORTING GREATNESS: \u0110okovi\u0107 sends powerful words to one of his greatest rivals on his induction into the Hall of Fame! (VIDEO)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source<\/strong>:<\/strong> <\/strong>Nova.rs<\/a>, Foto:<\/strong> Ranka Tomovi\u0107 Zubac<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Milica Jeli\u010di\u0107, who was on the list of the Citizens\u2019 Group \u201cVoice of Youth That Changes Se\u010danj\u201d in the local electionsin Se\u010danj on November 30, had her contract at the \u201cPoletarac\u201d Preschool expire on August 31, and it was not extended. According to Jeli\u010di\u0107, this was preceded by months of pressure that began as early […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2169,"featured_media":217469,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[14149,7386,14150,4833,876,14151,113,7162],"class_list":["post-217468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-serbia","tag-blokaderka","tag-lokalni-izbori","tag-milica-jelicic","tag-otkaz","tag-politika","tag-secanj","tag-srbija","tag-studentska-lista","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t