The opposition is preparing for the elections: How many columns?

In the midst of speculation as to whether extraordinary parliamentary elections could be held before the summer, most of the parties opposition is of the opinion that on that elections you should have your own list.

This is what "Vremena" sources say from the meeting of nine opposition parties held on Wednesday (April 22) evening. They do not want to officially make more specific statements about that meeting.

"There was no concrete conclusion. It was proposed that the opposition form a list and go to the elections, because there will obviously not be a single list with to students although some still mention it as a possibility," says one interlocutor. "More or less everyone agrees with that idea."

The only doubt, the sources add, is whether the opposition should try to make one list or try in two columns - pro-European and national.

Pavle Grbović, the first man of the Movement of Free Citizens, did not want to reveal the details of the meeting, but says that he is in principle in favor of the program lists:

"If the opposition wants to participate, that participation must have a meaning - not only to be on the ballot and survive, but to offer a certain policy and seek legitimacy for it. That is why it is more logical for one civic, democratic opposition to go and another, which needs to define itself," he told "Vreme".

Why DS was not at the meeting of the opposition

Who was, who wasn't?

The meeting was attended by representatives of nine opposition parties: the People's Movement of Serbia, the Party of Freedom and Justice, the Green-Left Front, the Ecological Uprising, the Center Party of Serbia, the Movement of Free Citizens, the Social Democrats, the Movement for Decentralization and the New Face of Serbia.

Although they were invited, representatives of the Kreni-promeni movement, the New DSS, and the Democratic Party did not come. The head of the latter, Srdjan Milivojevic, repeated the position that they will wholeheartedly support only the Student List.

"Going to the elections ultimately depends on whether and how we will come to an agreement," says one opposition member who was at the meeting. "It is not an idea to go to the elections for the sake of order and perish in them. It is better than that to support the Student List."

As the insiders add, things in the opposition bloc accelerated the announcements that the elections could take place quickly - say on July 5 or 12. Although, no one blindly believes in such announcements by Aleksandar Vučić, but should just be prepared.

Also, there is no official communication with the student movement. That movement ignored "Vremena"'s questions about why it is not talking with the opposition at least about joint control of the elections. As far as we know, there is no uniform opinion about this even among students.

However, it is certain that they are creating their own list and that they will not "accept" representatives of the opposition, so the opposition has drawn its conclusions from that.

Confident in a solid result

Various politicians of the opposition called for some kind of conversation, but among the students it was clearly estimated that any proximity to the opposition would do more harm than good.

"We support the political articulation of the student movement - it is their right to choose their direction," he told Vreme in March. Radomir Lazovic from the Green-Left Front.

"That direction goes further to the right than we would like, but it is their choice. But we believe that they cannot win on their own, just as neither we nor anyone else can. That is why we call for coordination, not to interfere with them," he added.

As he said then, there is only informal communication with students through some people close to the movement.

Now, according to some opposition members at the meeting, signals are coming through similar channels that the student movement would have nothing against organizing the opposition into its own column.

It is calculated that, especially the pro-European column, would comfortably pass the census. Some surveys from the end of last year suggest that such a column at the national level could count with ten percent of the vote.

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