Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic resigns to run for PM in October election

Serbias populist President Aleksandar Vucic resigned Sunday to pursue a bid to become prime minister in an upcoming early parliamentary election that will test his firm rule in the Balkan country which was rattled by nearly two years of protestsVucics second presidential term would otherwise end in May next year He is banned by the Serbian Constitution from seeking a third term and said he was resigning to lead his rightwing Serbian Progressive Party in the October 25 ballotThe governing populists face a major challenge at the ballot box from a youthbacked movement that led the protests triggered by the November 1 2024 train station canopy collapse that killed 16 people in the northern city of Novi SadUniversity students demanded accountability for the tragedy Their struggle for justice and against corruption has grown into a strong movement that will attempt to oust Vucics government after 14 years in power Vucic himself has been either prime minister or president for the past 12 yearsI am resigning the duty of the President of the Republic Vucic said reading the text of his resignationTensions are rising ahead of highstakes October ballotThe ballot in October will be held against a backdrop of high political tensions as Vucics populists seek to remain in office despite widespread popular discontent His decision to run for prime minister is seen as a carefully planned maneuver to retain a top position and to boost his partys chances against the student movementBefore signing his resignation Vucic briefly addressed his supporters outside the presidency building in Belgrade He said tonight is a very special occasion for me my last evening in this beautiful buildingBut I look to the future with joy new victories await us he told the crowd as they chanted his name Lets beat them opponents more convincingly than ever beforeVucic in recent weeks has toured the country tirelessly in a live coverage on progovernment media He has opened new roads offered assistance money and cheaper medicines and visited voters in their homes More recently Vucic was filmed driving in his brothers car to some of the eventsThe prime minister in Serbia is formally more powerful than the president But Vucic still took a dominant role during his two fiveyear terms sometimes presiding over government sessions and routinely announcing all important decisions and plansThe Independent Bureau for Social Research or BIRODI has filed a complaint alleging that Vucic has abused a public institution as president to promote his party which he has dismissed There has been no response from the anticorruption authorities that are under government controlPresidential vote to be held laterAfter Vucics resignation the acting president will be a close ally and former prime minister Ana Brnabic who is the outgoing speaker of Serbias 250member ParliamentVucic said the first round of the early presidential election must be held by the end of this year because of a 90day deadlineVucic and his party have been accused of rampant corruption organised crime links and a clampdown on democratic freedoms including the critical media The SNS party has gradually taken control over all state institutions since coming to power in 2012 while denying abuse of office and repeatedly pledging to fight graftThe studentbacked election list includes littleknown experts professors teachers athletes and other individuals from all walks of life Groups of students have been touring the country on bicycles as part of their campaign calling for the rule of law and an end to corruptionAnalysts say the student group and Vucic are polling close heralding a tight race and a referendumlike atmosphereAlso running are Vucics allies the Socialist Party a proEU opposition alliance and several smaller groupsVucic said that as of Monday he will be everywhere in Serbia to listen to the people While praising his governments achievements Vucic contended that I have made mistakes but I have worked diligently like hardly anyone in this positionVucic also said he had pardoned 49 people before leaving the office including 23 who have been prosecuted for alleged offenses during the protests They include a group of antigovernment activists who fled Serbia after being accused of antistate activitiesAuthorities have pushed hard against protesters with police violence and detentions as Vucic without offering evidence accused his opponents and critical media of intending to destroy the state under unspecified foreign influenceHe told Serbias staterun RTS Television earlier on Sunday that foreign powers and unidentified people in the country plan to stir unrest on election nightSerbias efforts to join the European Union have stalled under Vucic because of democratic backsliding and a refusal to join sanctions against Russia over the war in UkraineThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness 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