DS: ‘European Serbia’ decision to run against students is ‘wrong and harmful’

Demokratska stranka (DS) today described as “wrong and harmful” the decision of the “Evropska Srbija” coalition to run a separate list in the 25 October early parliamentary elections, stressing that rallying around the Student List is a unique opportunity for a change of power, as Nova.rs reports.

“The promise to support the students after the elections hardly sits with the decision to run against them for votes before the elections. The days-long collection of signatures and the certification of the majority of the signatures of all formally opposition lists in municipal and city administrations raised the question of their genuine support,” the DS statement says, according to Nova.rs.

According to the statement, “Evropska Srbija” manages to gather no more than a few dozen people at public events, so DS deems it almost certain that the votes this list will take from the students will not bring it any mandate, but will only weaken the Student List.

“Precisely such a dispersal of votes against the regime is what Vučić’s electoral engineering counts on — one of the main levers by which he retains power,” DS said, as reported by Nova.rs, responding to the statement of the vice-president of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), Marinika Tepić, the bearer of the “Evropska Srbija” list, who said on the show “Utisak nedelje” that she was “scandalised” by DS’s statements.

DS also accused social media accounts campaigning for “Evropska Srbija” of spreading smears, targeting student candidates and their supporters, and publishing private data. “We have the right and duty to point out to citizens the consequences of such a decision,” the party added, urging Tepić and her political partners to stop these attacks and withdraw from the elections, “to preserve some opposition credibility and to help ensure that votes for change are not wasted,” according to Nova.rs.