A TV duel in the political arena is a common form of exchange of opinions in democratic societies. Public dialogue helps voters form their opinions about candidates for public office, their programs and ideas.
Such confrontations in the progressive Serbia in which the regime controls most of the media, and government representatives are forbidden to make statements or appear in professional media, there are almost none.
Now the candidate for prime minister is listed "Aleksandar Vučić - United Serbia", meaning Aleksandar Vučić, after 14 years of running away from TV duel, remembered that he should face the first na in front of RTS cameras Student list Ilija Srdanović, so he threw a glove in his face.
The first spontaneous reaction on the part of the students is: shut up bro, it's too late now, we've had nothing to talk about for a long time, we're not going to participate in your pretend dialogue show after all the bullshit you've done for over a decade, beatings, arrests, insults, lies, Ćatsilenda... The students are winning!
And who would decently agree to engage in a radical fight in which the winner is the one who is louder and ruder than interrupting the other. That's how it was taught in Šešelj's speech school.
Conditions for the TV duel
That, however, would be a mistake.
"Student List - Students Win" should be willing to accept that their "first among equals" cross verbal spears with the leader of the opposite party.
Of course under certain conditions that correspond to the practice in democratic societies.
And how could that play out?
First, Aleksandar Vučić should resign from the post of President of Serbia before that, for the sake of order, so that he would not be assisted in violating the Constitution.
Vučić seems to be calling for a duel, and he has been hiding for 15 years
Second, both participants must have identical time for answers, say two minutes per question. When the 120 seconds are up, the one who just answered has to stop talking, shut up, shut his mouth. If he doesn't, the host can mute him. The countdown clock must be visible to the spectators at all times.
Third, there is no interruption.
Fourth, for the replica, everyone would get, for example, 30 seconds. The number of replicas and possibly replicas to replicas is predetermined.
Fifth, the participants do not address each other.
Sixth, due to the great distrust that prevails, the TV duel should be conducted by two journalists chosen by both candidates.
Seventh, RTS should host this, for Serbian conditions, political spectacle.
Respect for voters
Regardless of everything that has happened in the last two years, the Student List should not dismiss with disgust a priori the possibility of a TV duel between Ilija Srdanović and Aleksandar Vučić.
Moreover, he should publicly state these, or similar, conditions under which he accepts, out of respect for the citizens of Serbia, for whom such a confrontation would help them decide who to vote for, and, above all, those who have so far voted for the head of the SNS out of conviction.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that Aleksandar Vučić will agree to any balance of power under equal conditions.
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