2009 Serbian local elections

A small number of municipalities in Serbia held local elections in 2009. 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 2005.

All local elections in 2009 were held under proportional representation. The direct election of mayors had been introduced in 2002 but was subsequently abandoned in 2007; in 2009, mayors were chosen by elected members of the local assemblies. Parties were required to cross a five per cent electoral threshold to win representation in the local assembles in 2009, although this requirement was waived for parties representing national minority communities.

Results

Belgrade

Voždovac

The municipal assembly of Voždovac was dissolved on 5 March 2009, after the resignation in January of the municipality's mayor, Goran Lukačević, and the president of its municipal assembly. ^[1] Lukačević continued to lead a provisional administration pending new elections, which took place on 7 June.

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić	14,190	30.83	18
	For a European Voždovac –Boris Tadić (Democratic Party, G17 Plus)	13,785	29.95	17
	Democratic Party of Serbia–New Serbia–People's Party–Vojislav Koštunica	5,696	12.37	7
	Socialist Party of Serbia–Party of United Pensioners of Serbia–United Serbia–Ivica Dačić	4,859	10.56	6
	Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj	2,908	6.32	3
	Liberal Democratic Party–Čedomir Jovanović	2,481	5.39	3
	"List for Tolerance–Rasim Ljajić" (Sandžak Democratic Party, Roma Social Democratic Party)	1,576	3.42	2
	Movement of Socialists–Aleksandar Vulin	388	0.84	–
	Party "Serbian Accord"–Ljubomir Simić	88	0.19	–
	Serbian People's Party	58	0.13	–
Total		46,029	100.00	56
Valid votes		46,029	98.18
Invalid/blank votes		855	1.82
Total votes		46,884	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		148,497	31.57
Source: [2]

Parliamentarian Marina Raguš led the Radical Party's list and took a seat in the municipal assembly afterwards. ^{[3] [4]}

Post-election negotiations for a coalition government were not successful, and another municipal election was held on 6 December 2009.

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić	23,213	37.75	26
	For a Better Voždovac –Boris Tadić (Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party of Serbia)	17,829	29.00	20
	Democratic Party of Serbia–New Serbia–Vojislav Koštunica	5,367	8.73	6
	Socialist Party of Serbia–Party of United Pensioners of Serbia–United Serbia–Ivica Dačić	4,097	6.66	4
	Liberal Democratic Party–Čedomir Jovanović	2,962	4.82	–
	G17 Plus–Mlađan Dinkić	2,756	4.48	–
	Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj	2,239	3.64	–
	People's Party–Maja Gojković	1,463	2.38	–
	None of the Above	517	0.84	–
	GEPS for Voždovac [5] –Prof. Dr. Jovan Filipović	488	0.79	–
	Veterans' Party of Serbia–General Vukajlo Čađenović	203	0.33	–
	Serbia 21–Ivan Markov	193	0.31	–
	Forward for the Municipality of Avalski Venac–Zdravko Pršić	87	0.14	–
	Serbian Accord–Ljubomir Simić	74	0.12	–
Total		61,488	100.00	56
Valid votes		61,488	98.13
Invalid/blank votes		1,173	1.87
Total votes		62,661	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		149,362	41.95
Source: [6]

Aleksandar Savić of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. ^[7]

Marina Raguš received the second position on the Radical Party's list. ^[8]

Zemun

The municipal assembly of Zemun was dissolved on 5 March 2009, after the assembly failed to adopt its municipal statute by the required deadline. (There was also controversy over a number of disputed mandates claimed by the Radical Party.) ^[9] Zdravko Stanković of the Democratic Party led a provisional authority pending new elections on 7 June. ^[10]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić	18,296	34.61	23
	" For a European Zemun –Boris Tadić" (Democratic Party, G17 Plus)	14,913	28.21	19
	Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj	5,386	10.19	6
	Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS)–Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS)–United Serbia (JS)–List for Zemun–Ivica Dačić	3,858	7.30	4
	Democratic Party of Serbia–New Serbia–People's Party–Vojislav Koštunica	3,777	7.15	4
	Zemun Movement–Prof. Miša Krstić	2,555	4.83	–
	Liberal Democratic Party–Čedomir Jovanović	2,124	4.02	–
	"List for Tolerance–Rasim Ljajić" (Sandžak Democratic Party, Roma Social Democratic Party)	1,192	2.25	1
	"Movement of Socialists–Aleksandar Vulin"	675	1.28	–
	Party of Serbian Accord [11] –Ana Pavlović	86	0.16	–
Total		52,862	100.00	57
Valid votes		52,862	98.22
Invalid/blank votes		960	1.78
Total votes		53,822	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		152,179	35.37
Source: [12]

Branislav Prostran of the Progressive Party was chosen as mayor after the election. ^[13]

Vojvodina

Kovin

The Kovin municipal assembly was dissolved by the Serbian authorities on 8 November 2008 after it failed to adopt the country's new municipal statute. ^[14] Sitting mayor Novica Mijatovič of the Movement for the Revival of Our Municipality list was removed from office, and Slavko Branković of the Democratic Party was appointed to lead a provisional administration. ^{[15] [16]} A new election was held on 5 April 2009.

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	For a European Municipality of Kovin –Boris Tadić (Democratic Party, G17 Plus)	3,556	25.68	14
	Citizens' Group: Movement for the Revival of Our Municipality–Sava Krstić	2,755	19.90	10
	Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić	2,522	18.22	9
	Socialist Party of Serbia–United Serbia–For Domestic Kovin	2,187	15.80	8
	Democratic Party of Serbia–New Serbia–People's Party–Dr. Vojislav Koštunica	822	5.94	3
	Liberal Democratic Party–Milan Višnjevac	586	4.23	–
	Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj	569	4.11	–
	Hungarian Coalition–István Pásztor (Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians, Vojvodina Hungarian Party)	458	3.31	1
	Movement of Socialists–Aleksandar Vulin	390	2.82	–
Total		13,845	100.00	45
Valid votes		13,845	94.72
Invalid/blank votes		771	5.28
Total votes		14,616	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		30,035	48.66
Source: [17]

Slavko Branković of the Democratic Party was confirmed as mayor after the election and served for a full four-year term. ^[18]

Vrbas

The municipal government of Vrbas was dismissed in June 2009 following a breakdown in the local coalition and a non-functioning municipal assembly, and a new election was scheduled for 18 October 2009. ^[19] Željko Vidović of the Democratic Party was appointed as the leader of a provisional administration prior to the election. An explosive device was detonated under his car shortly after he accepted this position, although no-one was in the vehicle at the time. ^[20]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	For a European Vrbas –Boris Tadić (Democratic Party–Serbian Renewal Movement–Social Democratic Party of Serbia)	7,517	36.97	15
	SPS–PUPS–JS–Ivica Dačić	3,936	19.36	3
	Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić	2,878	14.15	6
	Serbian Radical Party–Dr. Vojislav Šešelj	1,563	7.69	3
	DSS–NS–Vojislav Koštunica	1,249	6.14	2
	Liberal Democratic Party–League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina–List for the Villages	1,138	5.60	2
	Citizens' Group: There Is Hope	597	2.94	–
	Movement of Socialists–Aleksandar Vulin	545	2.68	–
	Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians–István Pásztor	340	1.67	–
	Za Vrbas U Plusu–G17 Plus	305	1.50	–
	Reformists of Vojvodina–We Love Vojvodina	266	1.31	–
Total		20,334	100.00	31
Valid votes		20,332	97.07
Invalid/blank votes		614	2.93
Total votes		20,946	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		37,176	56.34
Source: [21]

A new coalition government was formed after the election by the Democratic Party, the Socialist Party, and other parties. Željko Vidović was chosen as mayor. ^{[22] [23]} He resigned in 2012 and was replaced by Milan Stanimirović, also of the Democratic Party.

Central Serbia (excluding Belgrade)

Kosjerić

Željko Prodanović, a member of the Democratic Party of Serbia, was removed from office as mayor of Kosjerić on 26 February 2009, and a provisional administration was established with Milan Štulović of the Democratic Party as its leader. ^[24] A new election was scheduled for 7 June 2009.

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Democratic Party–Dragan Vujadinović	1,832	25.57	8
	Serbian Progressive Party–Tomislav Nikolić	984	13.73	5
	New Serbia–Velimir Ilić	952	13.28	4
	Democratic Party of Serbia–Dr. Vojislav Koštunica	940	13.12	4
	SPS–PUPS–JS Ivica Dačić	907	12.66	3
	Serbian Renewal Movement–Dr. Ljiljana Kosorić	576	8.04	2
	G17 Plus–Dr. Svetlana Slavković	423	5.90	1
	Liberal Democratic Party–Čedomir Jovanović	378	5.27	1
	Serbian Radical Party Dr. Vojislav Šešelj	174	2.43	–
Total		7,166	100.00	28
Valid votes		7,166	98.06
Invalid/blank votes		142	1.94
Total votes		7,308	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		10,888	67.12
Source: [25]

Dragan Vujadinović of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election, leading a coalition government that also included the alliance around the Socialist Party of Serbia, the Serbian Renewal Movement, and G17 Plus. ^[26] In October 2012, a new governing coalition came to power with Milijan Stojanić of the Serbian Progressive Party as mayor. ^[27]

References

1. Lana Gedošević, "DS pobedio na Voždovcu, SNS u Zemunu", Blic, 8 June 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
2. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 31 (15 June 2009), p. 2.
3. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 52 Number 26 (28 May 2009), p. 3.
4. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 40 (26 August 2009), p. 29.
5. The party's name stood for "Group for the Prosperity of Serbia." See "Važno je da Voždovac dobije vlast", Blic, 30 November 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
6. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 54 (7 December 2009), pp. 1-2.
7. "Izabran predsednik SO Voždovac", Radio Television of Serbia, 31 January 2014, accessed 14 October 2021.
8. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 52 (25 November 2009), p. 5.
9. Lana Gedošević, "DS pobedio na Voždovcu, SNS u Zemunu", Blic, 8 June 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
10. "Prinudna uprava juče preuzela Zemun u 06.45", Politika, 17 March 2009, accessed 25 June 2018.
11. This party was known in Serbian as the "Stranka Srpska sloga." Its name could alternately be translated as "Party of Serbian Unity," but it should not be confused with the Stranka srpskog jedinstva (SSJ), a different organization known in English by the latter name.
12. Službeni List (Grada Beograda), Volume 53 Number 30 (11 June 2009), pp. 23-24.
13. "Branislav Prostran (SNS) novi predsednik opštine Zemun", Politika, 21 July 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
14. "Završeni lokalni izbori u Kovinu", Radio Television of Vojvodina, 5 April 2009, accessed 6 July 2022.
15. "PREMINUO NOVICA MIJATOVIĆ", vesti.rs (Source: Kovin Ekspres), 4 March 2013, accessed 6 July 2022.
16. "Kovin kao opština sa rekordnim brojem predsednika", kovinac.rs, 30 October 2017, accessed 6 July 2022.
17. "Nedelja - dan vanrednih izbora u Kovinu", Radio Television of Vojvodina, 3 April 2009, accessed 6 July 2022; ЛОКАЛНИ ИЗБОРИ 2012., Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; pp. 11, 40.
18. "Kovin kao opština sa rekordnim brojem predsednika", kovinac.rs, 30 October 2017, accessed 6 July 2022.
19. "U Vrbasu izbori", Radio Television of Vojvodina, 28 July 2009, accessed 14 October 2021.
20. "Trotil za šefa Vrbasa", Novosti, 7 June 2009, accessed 19 March 2021.
21. Službeni List (Opštine Vrbas), Volume 44 Number 23 (24 November 2009), p. 464.
22. "VIDOVIĆ PREDSEDNIK, MARAŠEVA NA ČELU SO", Vesti (Source: Blic), 25 November 2009, accessed 19 March 2021.
23. Dragoljub Petrović, "Kursadžije, partizani i Zvezde Granda", Danas, 27 October 2009, accessed 19 March 2021.
24. Službeni List (Opštine Kosjerić), 2009 Number 2 (9 March 2009), p. 1.
25. Službeni List (Opštine Kosjerić), 2009 Number 13 (18 June 2009), p. 1; ЛОКАЛНИ ИЗБОРИ 2012, Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; pp. 12, 60.
26. "Formirana nova vlast u Kosjeriću", Radio Television of Serbia, 14 July 2009, accessed 18 May 2022.
27. "Kuvar na čelu opštine Kosjerić", B92, 24 October 2012, accessed 18 May 2022.