Opposition parties demand Šapić’s removal as Belgrade mayor, urgent assembly session called

After the incident in Novi Beograd in which Belgrade mayor Aleksandar Šapić injured “Kreni-Promeni” movement councillor Tanja Mićić, opposition parties demanded his dismissal from office, while several of them called for an urgent session of the city Assembly for his removal, as Danas reports.

The Zeleno-levi front (ZLF) strongly condemned the attack, stressing it is not an isolated incident but pure violence. According to the ZLF, a mayor who hits a councillor has no political or moral legitimacy, and Šapić must be dismissed immediately and answer before the law.

Zdravko Janković, co-chair of the ZLF’s board in Belgrade and a fellow councillor of Mićić in the Novi Beograd Assembly, said that “Šapić’s politics is force against citizens”.

Natalija Stojmenović, head of the ZLF-PSG councillor group in the Belgrade City Assembly, said that “Šapić must go” and that the ZLF will join every demand leading to his dismissal — “the worst mayor in Belgrade’s history”.

The Narodni pokret Srbije (NPS) condemned the attack and demanded an immediate reaction from the competent bodies. Miloš Pavlović, head of the NPS councillor group in the Belgrade Assembly, said it is not the first time Šapić has shown a tendency for threats and aggressive behaviour, and demanded that the police and prosecution verify all circumstances, review the footage and question all participants.

The Pokret slobodnih građana (PSG): councillor Stefan Simić demanded the urgent convening of the Belgrade Assembly session for Šapić’s dismissal. He also demanded that the police and prosecution treat Šapić like any other citizen suspected of violence — with detention if the legal conditions are met — as well as testing for alcohol and psychoactive substances.

Ekološki ustanak: Aleksandar Stevanović called on Šapić to resign “if he has even a grain of honour”.

The Stranka slobode i pravde (SSP) put it this way: “Mad Šapić… is the true mirror of Vučić’s regime”. According to the SSP, either Vučić and the SNS immediately dismiss Šapić, condemn the violence and the institutions prosecute him with urgent procedure, or naked violence is all the regime offers.

Srbija centar (SRCE) called the case “an absolute low in Belgrade’s political history” — a man who should have represented all citizens proved an ordinary street thug.

LSV Vojvođani: Maja Mrnuštik demanded urgent criminal accountability and Šapić’s dismissal. Novi DSS also said the event shows the climate the regime generates and that Šapić can no longer be mayor.