Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Sapic resigned from the post, a press release from the city administration said today.
Sapic, an official of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), is one of many mayors who have or are set to resign in line with a decision from the top ranks of the ruling party so that elections can be held in December this year. The Beta news agency said that a number of mayors in southern Serbian towns have resigned while pro-government Politika daily said that it was told unofficially that the initiative to resign came from the top ranks of the ruling SNS allegedly because elections are coming. The daily said that all ruling coalition mayors across Serbia would be resigning.
Under Serbian election law, elections have to be called within 30 days of the resignation or end of term of elected officials and the vote has to be held within 45 days after that deadline expires.
Sapic is quoted as saying that he would continue doing the job of mayor. He said that he resigned formally to create the legal prerequisites for Belgrade city elections along with parliamentary and Vojvodinian elections.
He said that he expected to helm the temporary body that the Serbian government will set up once the conditions are in place for the December 17 elections.
(Blic, 29.09.2023)