2014 Belgrade City Assembly election explained

Election Name:2014 Belgrade City Assembly election
Country:Belgrade
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2012
Previous Year:2012
Next Election:2018
Next Year:2018
Seats For Election:All 110 seats in the City Assembly
Majority Seats:55
Election Date:16 March 2014
Turnout:50.66%
Party1:SNS coalition
Colour1:
  1. 000099
Leader1:Zorana Mihajlović
Last Election1:37
Seats1:63
Percentage1:43.62
Party2:DS coalition
Leader2:Dragan Đilas
Colour2:
  1. FFBF00
Last Election2:50
Seats2:22
Percentage2:15.70
Party3:SPSPUPSJS
Leader3:Aleksandar Antić
Colour3:
  1. CC0000
Last Election3:13
Seats3:16
Percentage3:11.49
Party4:Democratic Party of Serbia
Leader4:Aleksandar Popović
Last Election4:10
Seats4:9
Percentage4:6.39
Map Size:300px
Mayor of Belgrade
Before Election:Siniša Mali
Before Party:Independent politician
After Election:Siniša Mali
After Party:Serbian Progressive Party

The local election for the City Assembly of Belgrade, capital of Serbia, was held on 16 March 2014, alongside parliamentary election. The election was scheduled in late 2013, after the mayor Dragan Đilas lost a non-confidence motion in the assembly. Twenty-three parties and coalitions ran for 110 seats in the Assembly, with 5% election threshold required to win seats.

According to the final results, parliamentary winner Serbian Progressive Party also won 43.62% votes in Belgrade, and an absolute majority of 63 seats. Only three more lists surpassed the threshold: Democratic Party of Dragan Đilas with 15.7% of votes (22 seats), Socialist Party of Serbia with partners took 11.49% (16 seats) and Democratic Party of Serbia won 6.39% (9 seats).

Background

The aftermath of the 2012 elections was radical; then's incumbent president Boris Tadić lost to the oppositions counter-opponent Tomislav Nikolić. This effectively led to a change of the ruling majority with the Progressives ousting and replacing the Democrats (see for more detail: Cabinet of Ivica Dačić). The result of the local elections, however, were considerably in favor of the Democrats and it was easy enough for mayor Dragan Đilas to secure a second term with a coalition of his coalition (DS along with its minor partners, the Social Democratic Party of Serbia and the Serbian Renewal Movement) with the SPS-PUPS-JS, lacking but a single vote for a majority. Over the following months there were some serious changes within the DS, with early party elections and Tadic's stepping down from the race acceding defeat and settling with an honorary presidential title, and Djilas becoming party leader; it was quickly followed by significant party-purges of those that took part in the 2008–2012 government due to political responsibility.

Subsequent changes as a result were a swift decline of the DS in the opinion polls (including withdrawal from politics of a significant number of individuals, as well as a fraction breaking off and forming a new political party under the leadership of former minister Dušan Petrović called Together for Serbia) and SNS' plummeting. It led to after restructuring the government only PUPS remaining in support of Đilas by late 2013, with more and more pressure for an early election in Belgrade. In the end he was outvoted in late September 2013 and the government named a provisional team to administer the capital city until early elections, headed by acting mayor Siniša Mali who is closely associated with the SNS. Many parties and individuals participated in the provisional local government, but the DS withdrew from it early on; the long-lasting enforced government was perceived by the Democrats as a tyrannical act aimed at weakening their position and strengthening the Progressives' chances. As per the constitution and according laws, elections for Belgrade were finally scheduled in early 2014 for 16 March 2014.

This led to a chain of results with the Progressives deciding to go on early parliamentary elections simultaneously, bringing down Ivica Dačić's government.

Electoral lists

The following are the electoral lists in the capital city so far proclaimed by the City Electoral Commission:[1]

Ballot number Ballot nameBallot carrierNote
1Aleksandar Vučić — Future we believe in
(SNS, SDPS, NS, SPO, PS)
Zorana Mihajlović-Milanović
2Ivica DačićSPS, PUPS, JSMilan KrkobabićAleksandar Antić
3Democratic Party of Serbia - Vojislav KoštunicaAleksandar Popović
4Čedomir JovanovićLiberal Democratic PartyŽeljko Ožegović
5Serbian Radical Party - Dr Vojislav ŠešeljVojislav Šešelj
6United Regions of SerbiaMlađan DinkičMlađan Dinkić
7Cyrillic for Belgrade — Civic GroupMarko Mandić
8With the Democratic Party for a democratic Belgrade - Dragan ĐilasDragan Đilas
9Democracy — Europe — SerbiaDr Milorad Paunović
10Third Serbia — For all the hard-working peopleAleksandar Protić
11Boris TadićNew Democratic Party — GreensTogether for SerbiaBoris Ranković
12DveriVladan GlišićVladan Glišić
13Civic group “Patriotic Front” — Dr Borislav PelevićMilica Đurđević
14Alliance of Vojvodina HungariansIstván PásztorNebojša MarjanovićM
15GEPS for Belgrade — Prof. Dr Jovan FilipovićProf. Dr Jovan Filipović
16Party of Russians of Serbia — Dragan CvetkovićDragan CvetkovićM
17Civic group “Economic movement” - Branko DragašPredrag Mitrović
18Civic group “It is the same” - Igor BrakusIgor Brakus
19Patriotism in parliament — 1389 — Miša Vacić Stefan Janković
20Civic group “Free Serbia” — Academic dr Jovan DeretićJovan I. Deretić
21It's enough — Saša RadulovićSaša Radulović
22None of the AboveNikola TulimirovićM
23Blank ballotsSaša Damljanović

MNational minority list

Campaign

All lists endorse the forthcoming Pride parade in Belgrade, except for the DSS.[2]

The Representative Organizations of the Disabled Persons of Belgrade had signed a Protocol with the DS.[3]

Opinion polls

According to Factor Plus, 20–26 January:

Below threshold:

According to a poll of the "Nina Media" research agency and TV Prva conducted after elections were scheduled in early 2014:[4]

Other parties are below the electoral threshold.

According to 24–25 February Faktor plus poll:[5]

Results

The following are the final results proclaimed by the City Electoral Commission:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: City election commission releases complete list | Home | B92 Mobilni.
  2. Web site: Beograd: Svi za Paradu ponosa sem DSS.
  3. Web site: DS: Saradnja sa invalidskim organizacijama.
  4. Web site: SNS duplo jači od DS u Beogradu.
  5. Web site: BEOGRAD: SNS 42,5 odsto glasova, DS 17,4.