Student List Rallies in Krusevac and Prokuplje

The electoral list “Student List, Students Win” held two campaign rallies on Saturday, October 17: one in Krusevac at Bagdala and one in Prokuplje at Toplica Heroes Square. Eight days remain until the snap parliamentary elections on October 25, and the list will appear on the ballot as number 3.

Who spoke in Krusevac?

The Krusevac program opened with thematic stands devoted to the student program. According to the announcement, the stands were set up from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a walk from Actors’ Square to the park at Bagdala, and the official part of the rally was announced for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Before that, representatives of the list handed out campaign material and talked with residents.

On stage, the first speakers were Jovana Pavlovic, an electrical engineering student, and Dimitrije Radojevic, a political science student, who recalled the timeline of the student uprising, from the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad to the calling of the elections. Katarina Jevtic, a veterinary student, then explained how the list was put together:

“That is why there is no single person on this list whose name should overshadow all the others. There is no cult of personality here. We are not looking for a new leader. A seat in parliament is a public job. The mandate belongs to the citizens, and whoever receives it must always know who they answer to. These are the people we chose to do that job.”

Marko Bozovic, a sociology student, said the authorities feel fear because of the changes coming, and urged citizens to go to the polls together with their loved ones:

“We are entering the photo finish of the campaign. Justice, which we have been fighting for almost two years, has never been closer. Everything we have been through together has already entered the history books. Be aware of the time we live in, be aware that scholarly papers will be written about this and that stories from the student gatherings will be told to future generations. That is why I call on all of you to go out and vote on October 25, but not alone, go with your loved ones, with your friends. Make that day even more beautiful, make it the most beautiful day, one that will be remembered in golden letters in our history. In my life I have made many hard decisions, but this one has never been easier.”

Zeljko Hubac, a candidate for parliament, spoke about why he entered politics:

“For fifty-nine years I ran from politics because I despise politicians. They created an atmosphere in society in which a politician is the same as a thief. But we are not all the same.”

Hubac added that respect for the law is at the core of the list’s program, and recalled the law on the origin of property: Serbia, as he put it, has 48 billionaires, and he is sure one of them is from Krusevac. Psychologist Ana Mirkovic, English teacher Katarina Scepanovic and Dr. Vladimir Savic, one of the three Krusevac residents on the list, also spoke at the rally. None of the sources we reviewed says how many people gathered at Bagdala.

What was said in Prokuplje?

In Prokuplje, the “Together We Can” rally was held at Toplica Heroes Square, announced for 6 p.m. Lana Kocic and Filip Mirkovic hosted the program on behalf of the students. In front of what the local portal Prokuplje Pres describes as a large crowd, the speakers were candidates for members of parliament: attorney Mitar Krstic; Prof. Dr. Tatjana Pejcic, a specialist in internal medicine and subspecialist in pulmonology; Prof. Dr. Irena Ljubomirovic of the Faculty of Philosophy in Nis; Prof. Dr. Milos Todorovic of the Faculty of Economics in Nis; and opera singer Nikola Mikic. There is no estimate of the crowd in Prokuplje either.

Each speaker explained the points of the Student Program from their own field. The speeches touched on the collapsed facade of the Gymnasium building, trains that no longer run through Toplica, and the possibility that the company Leoni could pull production out of Prokuplje, after which, the speakers said, the local economy would have nothing left. They also covered education, health care and debts. All of them ended with the same message:

“All together, on Sunday, October 25, we will circle number 3, because students win!”

Before the program, students handed out badges at the stands, and a married couple named Cvetkovic handed out cookies with the message “Students Win.” After the speeches, people danced a kolo on the square, and the rally passed without incidents.

What does the list’s program contain?

The Student List is running on a program called “Student Plan, We Know How,” which has 11 points. They cover the fight against corruption and the strengthening of institutions, education and depoliticization, as well as economic and social development. According to Juzne Vesti, the students also held meetings with citizens in Prokuplje and nearby villages in recent weeks, presenting the program and talking with locals about local problems.