Professor at the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad, Bojan Pajtić, stated yesterday that all opposition parties and movements in Serbia should support the parliamentary list to which the students in the blockade will transfer their trust in the next parliamentary elections.
He said that the students' demand for early parliamentary elections is a unique opportunity to defeat the regime even under unequal conditions.
"Students have shown an unprecedented level of organization and conspiratorialism. Tens of thousands of students discussed a very important political topic such as calling elections and forming a student list, without the public or the regime being aware of it. This shows how much the student movement has matured in the past six months," Pajtić told Beta news agency.
He pointed out that it was impossible to imagine a broader front against the regime than the one formed by the students, and assessed that their demand for elections was "a unique opportunity to defeat the regime even in very difficult conditions of media inequality, vote buying, and pressure on voters."
The students in the blockade announced on Monday evening that they were demanding the "immediate" calling of early parliamentary elections.
"We call on the people to support the list to which students, in the blockade of all higher education institutions on the territory of Serbia, will transfer their trust, so that the truth will prevail on the scales of justice," the post on social media stated.
Most opposition leaders supported the student proposal.
"The massiveness, determination and energy that students bring with them, and which we older people, but also high school students, will support, guarantees that it will be difficult to steal elections, pressure voters and organize elections in the mafia-like manner that Aleksandar Vučić has done so far. Serbia is no longer afraid of anything, the students have driven away fear and this is a historic situation for us to become a normal and orderly country," said Bojan Pajtić.
According to him, political parties have no reason not to support a list that students trust.
"Opposition political parties have no alternative if they do not support students, because many of them would not even pass the census. Students are clearly calling on various social groups and opposition political parties to join this process. Students have excluded themselves as potential candidates for MPs, but also opposition party officials, which does not mean that there will be no opposition party members on the list. We are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel, it is certain and all opposition parties should, like the Democratic Party, support the student list," Pajtić pointed out.
Faculty of Political Sciences student Sofija Perić stated yesterday, on behalf of the students in the blockade, that the students will not run in the elections they requested.
"Students will not run because we understand the responsibility of being in such positions. It is obvious that the people currently in power do not understand this. That is why we will support people who we consider credible, who have proven to be experts in their fields and who we think will represent the voice of the people properly," Perić told TV Nova.
She explained that the students on the blockade hoped for a change in the system and "sincerely believed that our demands would be met."
"After seeing how much time has passed, it is clear to everyone that these demands will not be met under this government. If we want to change the system, we believe it is crucial to change this government. This is where our demand came from," said Perić.
She assessed that Vučić "will probably react."
"What we are asking for now - we are asking him personally, because it is the president who should ask for the election to be called. He will certainly have some kind of reaction, and we will monitor it and respond to it," said Perić.
The president of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, Miloš Vučević, stated regarding the request for early elections that the SNS does not want to participate in something that would "lead to a disaster for the state" because "they... would want to create chaos at polling stations and not allow them to take place, they would immediately talk about theft". He said that "the blockaders are now in the field of pure politics" and that they are demanding early parliamentary elections because "the revolution and the request for a transitional 'Đilas' government' have failed".
Interior Minister Ivica Dačić believes that there is no reason to hold early elections and that Serbia needs political stability and continued economic development.
"The government has a stable parliamentary majority. I am not a supporter of any extraordinary events, but of regular elections and I have never hidden that," Dačić told TV Pink.
He stated that he is not afraid of the election results and added that "those (who are seeking elections) do not understand that this could be the end of their dream of being able to do something in these elections."
Commenting on the statements of Vučević and Dačić, Bojan Pajtić said that it was an "empty story".
"The regime's rhetoric that says there will be no elections is empty talk. If they don't call elections, they will face mass civil disobedience and it will be very difficult to be an SNS or SPS official in the coming period. In conditions where students have millions of citizens behind them, the government will absolutely not be able to control either the processes or the system and will have no choice but to call elections," the professor emphasized.
Popović: Vučić can steal the elections, but then it's October 5th
Dragan Popović from the Center for Practical Politics believes that elections are the best path, with the least risk for society and the state.
"I think this is a very good decision by the students," said Popović.
He stressed that he does not believe that the government is in the mood for elections.
"Obviously, the government's ratings are falling, it's obvious that elections are not close to their hearts at the moment. They used to be, but now that the situation has crystallized so much, for the first time since 2012, a referendum atmosphere has been created in the public. Such a gap has been created between this government, which has occupied the institutions and taken over the entire country, and society, which is gathering around the student protest, that the question of a referendum is - for or against," Popović told N1.
He assessed that it would be difficult for the authorities to explain why they would not hold elections now when they are logical. "In the past 10, 12 years, we have had elections a thousand times when there was no reason, there was no special social crisis," he said.
Popović also said that the election conditions should not have been a reason not to vote.
"We overthrew a much more dangerous dictator through elections - Slobodan Milošević. Vučić can steal the elections tomorrow, but after that comes October 5th - your legitimate right to defend what you won in the elections is coming," he added.
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