Rasim Ljajic Files SDP List as Minority Ticket
SDP and CDP submitted the 'Rasim Ljajic, People's' list to Serbia's RIK on September 14, with 8,053 signatures and 250 candidates, as a minority ticket for the October 25 election.
The Sandzak Democratic Party (SDP) and the Montenegrin Democratic Party (CDP) submitted an election list called “Rasim Ljajic, People’s (SDP, CDP)” to Serbia’s Republic Election Commission (RIK) on September 14, backed by 8,053 certified citizen signatures and a roster of 250 candidates for parliament. The list was filed for the snap parliamentary election scheduled for October 25, and it is led by SDP founder Rasim Ljajic.
When submitting the paperwork, SDP president Samir Lekic explained why the party chose to run as a national minority list rather than try to clear the standard election threshold. Under the law, minority status requires at least 5,000 certified voter statements, while a regular list must clear the threshold set by law. RIK has the final say on whether the “Rasim Ljajic, People’s” list meets those conditions, and the commission has 48 hours from submission to review the documentation.
Fourth list, first to seek minority status
The SDP and CDP list was the fourth received by RIK since the snap parliamentary election was called, and the first submitted with a request for national minority status. Before it, RIK had already received the “Aleksandar Vucic, United Serbia” list built around the Serbian Progressive Party, the “Ivica Dacic, Factor of Stability” list built around the Socialist Party of Serbia, and the “Student List, Students Win” list, filed earlier the same day by the Student Movement through a citizens’ group.
By the time the SDP and CDP list was submitted, RIK had already certified the first two lists, which will appear on the ballot as numbers one and two. A decision on certifying the student list and the Ljajic list had not yet been made at the time of filing.
Why is SDP going with minority status?
Lekic said the party did not want to pour its entire campaign into clearing the regular threshold, in what he described as a referendum-like atmosphere.
“In a situation where we have an absolutely referendum-like atmosphere, we didn’t want to put all our energy into clearing the threshold. That’s why we’re running as a minority list, and we’re proud of it,” Lekic said.
SDP and CDP reached their agreement to run together a few days before filing the list. According to an earlier party statement, all details of the joint run were settled, and the parties are offering voters a policy of “normality, stability and realism,” under the campaign slogan “Time for Normality.” SDP founder Rasim Ljajic was asked to lead the list and to have his name included in its title, the statement said.
Sources differ on the share of women among the 250 candidates. Lekic said more than 50 percent of the candidates are women, a figure also cited by the outlet Morava Info, while the outlet Serbian News Media reports exactly 50 women out of 250 candidates on the list.
Announcing a major party rally, Lekic said he expects a strong result in the election.
“It’s very clear that this list will be a decisive factor. I no longer have any doubt that this list will be the biggest surprise of the election,” the SDP president said.
The rally is scheduled for Friday, September 18, in Novi Pazar, where SDP will present the list’s program and, as Lekic announced, run an affirmative campaign. He also said the coalition would not concern itself with other election lists.
What happens next
Formally filing the list with RIK does not mean automatic certification. The commission reviews the submitted documentation and checks compliance with legal requirements, including the number of certified voter statements needed for minority status, before issuing a certification ruling. Until then, it remains open whether the “Rasim Ljajic, People’s” list will appear on the October 25 ballot as a minority list, with all the advantages that status carries in the race for parliamentary seats.
