2008 Serbian parliamentary election

A pre-term parliamentary election is being held in the Republic of Serbia during 11 May 2008, barely a year after last parliamentary election. There are 6,749,886 eligible voters that will be able to vote in 8,682 voting places, as well as special 157, designed for refugees from Kosovo.

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. Kosovo's independence was gradually recognized by the United States and numerous European Union countries, leading to strain in their relations with Serbia. 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+ utilising their majority to outnumber the DSS-New Serbia (NS) populist coalition, the Premier finally stated on 8 March 2008 in 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 integration. The dissolution took place on 13 March 2008.

Registered lists

A list of registered electoral lists:

1. For a European Serbia – Boris Tadić (За европску Србију – Борис Тадић)
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 – Party of United Pensioners of Serbia – United Serbia (Социјалистичка партија Србије – Партија уједињних пензионера Србије – Јединствена Србија)
6. Bosniak List for a European Sandžak – Dr Sulejman Ugljanin (Бошњачка листа за европски Санџак – др Сулејман Угљанин) ^M
7. Hungarian Coalition – Ištvan Pastor (Magyar Koalíció – István Pásztor) ^M
8. Reformist Party – Dr Aleksandar Višnjić (Реформистичка странка – др Александар Вишњић)
9. If It Were Up to the Village – People's Peasant Party – Marijan Rističević (Да се село пита – Народна сељачка странка – Маријан Ристичевић)
10. Serbian Strength Movement – Bogoljub Karić (Покрет снага Србије – Богољуб Карић)
11. Civic Initiative of Goranis (Грађанска иницијатива Горанаца) ^M
12. United Vlachs of Serbia – Dr Predrag Balašević (Уједињени Власи Србије – др Предраг Балашевић) ^M
13. Vojvodina's Party – Igor Kurjački (Војвођанска партија – мр Игор Курјачки)
14. Roma for Roma – Miloš Paunković (Роми за Рома – Милош Паунковић) ^M
15. Montenegrin Party – Nenad Stevović (Црногорска партија – Ненад Стевовић) ^M
16. Roma Union of Serbia – Dr Rajko Đurić (Унија Рома Србије – др Рајко Ђурић) ^M
17. Albanian Coalition from Preševo Valley (Коалиција Албанаца Прешевске долине) ^M
18. League of the Bačka Bunjevci – Mirko Bajić (Савез бачких Буњеваца – Мирко Бајић) ^M
19. My Serbia Movement – Branislav Lečić (Покрет Моја Србија – Бранислав Лечић)
20. People's Movement for Serbia – Milan Paroški (Народни покрет за Србију – Милан Парошки)
21. Patriotic Party of the Diaspora – Zoran Milinković (Патриотска странка дијаспоре – Зоран Милинковић)
22. Roma Party – Srđan Šajn (Ромска партија – Срђан Шајн) ^M

^M — national minority list

Results

RIK has reported that the election has been a record turnout.

Campaign slogans

The parties' campaign slogans for the 2008 election:

	Party	English slogan	Serbian slogan
	For a European Serbia	For a European Serbia	За европску Србију
	DSS-NS	Support Serbia	Подржи Србију!
	Serbian Radical Party	Go Serbia!	Напред Србијо!
	SPS-PUPS-JS	Stand up Serbia	Устани Србијо
	Liberal Democratic Party	Spread it around! Serbia without borders	Шиpи даље! Србија без граница
	Serbian Strength Movement	Not giving Serbia up	Не дам Србију

Lists

For a European Serbia coalition

1. For a European Serbia - Boris Tadić

President Boris Tadić has gathered a large pro-EU coalition around his DS and G17 Plus. On the list 166 candidates are from DS, 60 from G17+ and 8 members from each of the following parties Sanjak Democratic Party, Serbian Renewal Movement and League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina. G17+ has allocated 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. 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 Tadić and its leader is Dragoljub Mićunović.

• EUROPE means more modern education - 1. For a EUROPEAN SERBIA Boris Tadić
  EUROPE means more modern education - 1. For a EUROPEAN SERBIA Boris Tadić
• EUROPE means a more certain future - 1. For a EUROPEAN SERBIA Boris Tadić
  EUROPE means a more certain future - 1. For a EUROPEAN SERBIA Boris Tadić
• EUROPE means new working places - work can't wait - 1. For a EUROPEAN SERBIA Boris Tadić
  EUROPE means new working places - work can't wait - 1. For a EUROPEAN SERBIA Boris Tadić

• Campaign Website: For a European Serbia

DSS-NS coalition

The populist coalition of the Prime Minister Koštunica's DSS and NS will run again. 70% of the seats will go to DSS and 30% to NS. Its campaign slogan is Support Serbia!. It presented Koštunica as a candidate for PM.

Serbian Radical Party

The Serbian Radical Party will run alone in this parliamentary election. The party presented its list of 250 candidates.

• Kosovo and Metohija - the heart of Serbia! Go Serbia! - Serbian Radical Party
  Kosovo and Metohija - the heart of Serbia!
  Go Serbia! - Serbian Radical Party

SPS-PUPS-JS coalition

File:SPS-PUPS-JS.jpg

5. Rise up Serbia!

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.

Liberal Democrats

File:LDP Širi dalje.jpg

Širi dalje

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 Democratic Party of Bulgarians supported it. The newly-formed Montenegrin Party started gathering signatures for the election, the first ethnic Montenegrin political party in Serbia.

On proposal of SRS the electoral boards has changed the electoral rules for the minorities, which will know need the standard 10,000 signatures instead of privileged 3,000. This has caused an outbreak of public protest amongst Roma and Albanian minorities, who consider this a scandalous removal of positive discrimination of the national minorities, as it opens the question whether they could accumulate that many signatures in time.

Others

Branislav Lečić's Movement "My Serbia" will run independent. The Patriotic Party of the Diaspora will run in an attempt to increase representation of the diaspora in Serbia.

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 because of G17+ and LSV, but its leaders have continually left an option of open dialog with the DS.

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, Koštunica 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

Party	Medium Gallup, March 2008	Strategic Marketing, March 2008	CeSID, May 2008	Medium Gallup, May 2008
SRS	91	90	86	90
ZES	88	83	81	85
DSS-NS	30	30	35	30
SPS	16	17	19	19
LDP	15	20	19	16
minorities	10	10	10	10
total	250	250	250	250

International reaction to Serbian parliamentary election 2008

Country	Notes
Croatia	Croatian media is also taking a great interest in the Serbian vote.
Russia	In Russia the media interest is very high, both in political and business circles. The great interest in Russia is ascribed to the need for Serbia to have a stable government and parliament, as this is the only way that it can be a reliable partner for cooperation, and a secure market for capital investment.
UNMIK
USA	The low level of interest in the U.S. has been attributed to that country’s own ongoing election campaign, only two journalists are covering events from the U.S.

• Reference

See also

• 2008 Serbian elections in Kosovo

External links

• Republic Electoral Commission