2017 Serbian local elections explained

A small number of municipalities in Serbia held local elections in 2017. These were not part of the country's regular cycle of local elections but instead took place in certain jurisdictions where either the local government had fallen or the last local elections for four-year terms had taken place in 2013.

All local elections in Serbia in 2017 were held under proportional representation. Mayors were not directly elected but were instead chosen by elected members of the local assemblies. Parties were required to cross a five per cent electoral threshold (of all votes, not only of valid votes), although this requirement was waived for parties representing national minority communities.

Results

Vojvodina

Kovin

An election was held in Kovin on 23 April 2017 due to the expiry of the mandate of the previous assembly elected in 2013.

Incumbent mayor Sanja Petrović was chosen for another term in office after the election, with the support of thirty-eight delegates. The Socialists participated in the local government.[1] Petrović resigned as mayor in early 2020 in order to harmonize Kovin's municipal elections with Serbia's general local election cycle and was appointed as leader of a provisional administration pending the vote.[2]

Odžaci

An election was held in Odžaci on 23 April 2017. The previous election had been held in December 2013; sitting mayor Dušan Marijan resigned in early 2017 to harmonize the municipal election with the 2017 Serbian presidential election.[3] Marijan initially led a provisional authority pending new elections; he was later replaced by Latinka Vasiljković.[4] [5]

Latinka Vasiljković was chosen as mayor after the election.[6] She resigned in early 2020 to harmonize Odžaci's municipal elections with Serbia's general local election cycle; Goran Nikolić was appointed as the leader of a provisional authority pending the vote.[7]

Pećinci

An election was held in Pećinci on 24 December 2017, due to the resignation of Serbian Progressive Party mayor Dubravka Kovačević Subotički the previous month. Kovačević Subotički was appointed to lead a provisional administration prior to the vote.[8]

Željko Trbović of the Serbian Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[9] Trbović resigned in early 2020 to harmonize Pećinci's local electoral cycle with the general 2020 Serbian local elections and was appointed to lead a new provisional administration.[10]

Vrbas

An election was held in Vrbas on 23 April 2017 following the resignation of Progressive Party mayor Milan Glušac earlier in the year. Vrbas had held its last local election in 2013, and the assembly's regular term in office was scheduled to expire in October 2017. Glušac said that he resigned in order to harmonize Vrbas's municipal election with the 2017 Serbian presidential election as a cost-saving measure; he served as leader of a provisional authority pending the vote.[11] [12]

Milan Glušac was selected for another term as mayor after the election. He announced his resignation in November 2019, withdrew his resignation shortly thereafter, and definitively resigned in early 2020. It is understood that Glušac's resignations were timed in such as way as to harmonize Vrbas's next municipal vote with Serbia's main local election cycle.[13] His resignation became official on 24 February 2020, and he was once again appointed as the leader of a provisional authority pending the next local election.[14] [15]

Sumadija and Western Serbia

Kosjerić

Elections were held for the Municipal Assembly of Kosjerić on 24 April 2017, due to the expiry of the mandate of the previous assembly elected in 2013.

Žarko Đokić of the Serbian Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election.[16]

Mionica

Boban Janković of the Serbian Progressive Party resigned as mayor of Mionica on 25 October 2017 and was afterward appointed to lead a provisional administration. New elections were held on 24 December 2017.[17]

Boban Janković was again chosen as mayor after the election.[18]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/kovin-izabrana-nova-stara-vlast/ "Kovin: Izabrana nova-stara vlast"
  2. https://013info.rs/vesti/politika/kovin-dobio-privremeni-organ-na-celu-sanja-petrovic "Kovin dobio Privremeni organ - na čelu Sanja Petrović"
  3. https://www.025info.unija.net/vesti/politika_10/predsednik-opstine-_19899 "PREDSEDNIK OPŠTINE ODŽACI DUŠAN MARIJAN PODNEO OSTAVKU"
  4. https://www.novosti.rs/%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8/%D1%81%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0.489.html:654593-Evri-od-svake-parcele З. РАЈИЋ, "Еври од сваке парцеле"
  5. https://www.dnevnik.rs/politika/latinka-vasilkovic-vodi-odake-15-05-2017 "Латинка Васиљковић води Оџаке"
  6. https://www.novosti.rs/%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8/%D1%81%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0.489.html:654593-Evri-od-svake-parcele З. РАЈИЋ, "Еври од сваке парцеле"
  7. https://www.odzaci.rs/srlat/vesti/formiran-privremeni-organ-opstine-odzaci "Formiran Privremeni organ opštine Odžaci"
  8. https://voice.org.rs/pecinci-opozicija-ocekuje-kradu-izbora/ "PEĆINCI: OPOZICIJA OČEKUJE KRAĐU IZBORA"
  9. https://www.sremskenovine.co.rs/2018/01/zeljko-trbovic-novi-predsednik-opstine-pecinci/ "Željko Trbović novi predsednik Opštine Pećinci"
  10. See "Sremice u renoviranim prostorijama", Sremske Vesti, 1 June 2020, accessed 17 August 2023.
  11. https://www.vrbas.net/info/5213-lokalni-izbori-zajedno-sa-predsednicki "Глушац поднео оставку, локални избори заједно са председничким"
  12. Službeni List (Opštine Vrbas), Volume 51 Number 3 (21 February 2017), pp. 42, 45.
  13. https://voice.org.rs/predsednici-tri-vojvodanske-opstine-po-drugi-put-u-dva-meseca-podneli-ostavke/ "Predsednici tri vojvođanske opštine po drugi put u dva meseca podneli ostavke"
  14. https://www.danas.rs/politika/voice-predsednik-opstine-vrbas-podneo-ostavku-izvesni-vanredni-lokalni-izbori/ "VOICE: Predsednik opštine Vrbas podneo ostavku, izvesni vanredni lokalni izbori"
  15. https://www.vrbas.net/lokalna-samouprava/predsednik-opstine ПРЕДСЕДНИК ОПШТИНЕ ВРБАС
  16. https://www.blic.rs/vesti/srbija/zarko-djokic-menja-stojanica-na-mestu-predsednika-opstine-kosjeric/4py942t "Žarko Đokić menja Stojanića na mestu predsednika opštine Kosjerić?"
  17. https://www.novosti.rs/vesti/srbija.73.html:692467-Predsednik-opstine-Mionica-podneo-ostavku B. Puzović, "Predsednik opštine Mionica podneo ostavku"
  18. https://www.mionica.rs/ Председник Општине