Announcement of the MP Green Left Front (ZLF) Rastislav Dinić on the occasion of the speech of the MP Jelena Pavlović at the student protest held in Kraljevo on June 28, it was interpreted by some of the public as a sign of division within the ZLF on the issue of student support.
Pavlović was previously a member of the movement "We, the strength of the people" by Branimir Nestorović.
Dinić wrote on the X network that, although he was against the decision to support the ZLF Student's list in the possible summer elections, admits that "with hindsight, that decision might have been good, or at least had some positive consequences."
He assessed that thanks to the "temporary" decision, in practice it was seen what that support looks like and what outcomes it can lead to if it is not the result of an open and equal discussion and a clear agreement.
"We didn't give that support asking for it, nor expecting anything in return, but we didn't hope that just a week after it we would get Memorandum on Kosovo, and now here is Nestorović's anti-vaxxer and defender of rapists Mike Aleksic at the student assembly (is it also on the Student list?). When you support another actor in the way that the ZLF supported the Student List, then his bad decisions no longer concern only him, but also you," said Dinić, among other things.
Students: You went too far in your criticism of Jelena Pavlović
He also emphasized that based on that "short-term but very significant experiment", he concluded that "continuing such unilateral support would be a mistake, and it was good that the decision was timed".
"We had the opportunity to test in relatively controlled conditions how things will proceed and what we saw, in my opinion, was not right. That is why, as a member of the ZLF, I will continue to openly advocate that this support is not extended without a prior bilateral discussion and agreement with representatives of SL and setting clear conditions for further cooperation. Discussion and agreement always, but unilateral support, as far as I personally am concerned, never again, to anyone," Dinić wrote, among other things.
Lazović: Nothing has changed
His party colleague Radomir Lazovic tells "Vreme" that, when it comes to ZLF's continued support for students, "nothing has changed".
"As you can see, we have lively debates about it and constantly analyze our positions. As far as we are concerned, nothing has changed and at this moment there is no reason to change anything," Lazović told "Vreme".
When Dinić's views are in question, Lazović points out that the ZLF is a party of free-thinking people.
"In ZLF, people have the right to their personal views, and that is our wealth and a great value that we do not play with. We cultivate such an environment and this is not the first time that our more prominent members have specific opinions on important topics," says Lazović.
He also states that what bothers him the most about the performance of MP Jelena Pavlović is that, together with Branimir Nestorović, she "practically participated in preserving the power of the SNS in Belgrade".
"I believe that someone who directly or indirectly cooperated with SNS should not participate in student gatherings or protests in that way. Her politics and what she stands for are perhaps secondary to me in this case, even though they are in the domain of conspiracy theories and bizarreness. But we all make mistakes sometimes, and I think that constructive and friendly criticism is absolutely in place, because such criticism seems to make the person you support better," concludes Lazović.
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