Srdanovic in Novi Pazar: too early to name partners

The Student List’s lead candidate, Ilija Srdanovic, spoke with residents of Novi Pazar on Saturday, October 17, eight days before the snap parliamentary election on October 25. Asked about cooperation with Bosniak parties, he said it is too early to talk about specific partners before the results are in, and he did not name a single party.

What did Srdanovic say about minority communities?

Srdanovic said that maximum respect for, and cooperation with, minority communities in Serbia is one of the priorities of the list’s program. He described the Student List as a community of all people, Serbs, Bosniaks and everyone else who makes up the state of Serbia.

“The Student List ‘Students Win’ has an extremely important segment in its program on cooperation with all minority communities,” Srdanovic said, adding that everyone should know these communities will be respected to the fullest.

He explained why the list came to Novi Pazar with a sentence that the media report in two slightly different versions. One reads: “We want peace, we want reconciliation and we want prosperity for this country.” The other continues: “That is why we came to a region of this country that is very dear to us, where we are welcomed warmly every time.” Srdanovic also said he believes the citizens of Novi Pazar will “choose the best solution” in the October 25 election.

What did he say about the Bosniak parties?

Asked how he assesses the work of the three largest Bosniak political parties, Srdanovic offered no individual assessments. He said the Student List is focused on its own program and priorities, and that he believes political actors, including the minority lists running in the election, work for the good of their communities.

“I hope we will do that together, for the benefit of all,” Srdanovic said.

Asked a follow-up question about possible cooperation with one of those parties, he answered that everyone who enters parliament has some potential for a political agreement. Before the results are published, though, nobody can know who will secure parliamentary status, or what future cooperation would look like. He did not mention any party by name, neither as a possible partner nor as a political rival.

How did he describe the conditions of the campaign?

Srdanovic tied the campaign to the state of the media. According to a report published by Danas and N1, he said:

“Regardless of the lack of media freedom and the shutting down of media outlets, and we exist only on the internet, we have clear signals from this city that we are winning, that the students are winning.”

The Sandzak Danas report records the same statement in a different form: “Regardless of all that, we have completely clear signals from the people that we are winning.” It also says Srdanovic named the lack of media freedom and the shutting down of media outlets as the reason the list is present almost exclusively online. The sources thus differ on whether he spoke of signals “from this city” or “from the people,” but the meaning is the same: the list believes it has support, even though, in his words, it is present almost only on the internet.

According to the available reports, Srdanovic did not specify what signals he had in mind or what his assessment is based on. The conversation with residents and journalists left open the possibility of a post-election deal with Bosniak political representatives, but without a single name and without any commitment before October 25.