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🇷🇸 Serbia /Elections & Politics

Tončev: SPS board to decide on Tuesday whether to contest elections

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • The Socialist Party of Serbia's main board will meet on Tuesday, with a decision on contesting elections on the agenda, party official Novica Tončev said.
  • The meeting follows multiple resignations and the expulsion of longtime official Branko Ružić after the party accused him of repeatedly violating its statute and policy decisions.
  • Tončev said the resignations would not threaten the party, while several officials from across Serbia and Kosovo have resigned from party posts or membership.

The Socialist Party of Serbia's main board is set to meet on Tuesday, with a decision on whether to contest elections at the center of the agenda. Party official Novica Tončev told FoNet that the gathering will take place after a wave of resignations from the party body.

The resignations followed the Statutory Commission's decision to expel longtime party official Branko Ružić. SPS announced on August 31 that Ružić had spent an extended period knowingly and deliberately violating the party statute, failing to carry out decisions by its bodies and its unified policy, and causing “enormous political damage” to the party.

Tončev rejected suggestions that the departures could endanger SPS. “The Socialist Party of Serbia has maintained its identity even when the whole world was against it. I truly believe that resignations, which are more or less a usual part of political folklore, cannot threaten a serious party such as the Socialist Party of Serbia,” he said.

The resignations have come from party officials and board members in Vojvodina, Belgrade and Kosovo, with Ružić's expulsion cited as the reason. Six more longtime officials resigned on Monday. SPS founder Aleksandar Cvetković left the main board but said he would remain a party member. Milan Aritonović resigned from all party posts after 28 years in SPS, including 23 years as head of its municipal board in Kosovska Kamenica.

Other departures included Ninoslav Đerić, who resigned as head of the SPS municipal board in North Mitrovica and from the party's executive board; Slađan Marić, who left the party and his post in Štrpce; and several officials from Kosovska Kamenica, Grocka, Zubin Potok and Ćuprija. Former Vojvodina deputy premier Ivan Đoković also resigned from all SPS positions on September 2.

The Socialist Party of Serbia has maintained its identity even when the whole world was against it. I truly believe that resignations, which are more or less a usual part of political folklore, cannot threaten a serious party such as the Socialist Party of Serbia.

· Novica TončevThe SPS official dismissed concerns that a series of resignations could threaten the party.
About this summary

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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