With great victory comes great responsibility. The purpose of Civil Society Organisations is to criticize the power and to advocate for public accountability.
Mr Vucic should resign as the president of SNS.
Statement made by the director of the Institute for European Affairs, Naim Leo BESIRI in relation to the presidential elections
Unemployment, low income and pensions, criminal, corruption and poverty are the problems Serbian citizens are facing in 2017. Thirty percent of the citizens are claiming they live worse than five years ago, and 15% sees themselves leaving the country in the next five years. I am expecting from the president to address the challenges in the spirit of transparency and democracy including wider dialogue with the citizens.
According to the constitution, President of the Republic shall express state unity of the Republic of Serbia. I congratulate to the President-Elect Aleksandar Vucic and I am using the opportunity to remind him that with great victory comes great responsibility. The purpose of the Institute for European Affairs, and other CSOs, are to made valid critics, not to praise the government, and to advocate for to the public accountability and responsibility in the exercise of public functions.
Mr. Vucic, I expect from you to perform the duties in the spirit of the rule of law and to be the President of all citizens. I hope you will follow the example of President Nikolic and you will leave all functions that are incompatible with the office of the President including the position of the President of the Serbian Progressive Party.
In civil society you have a partner, not an enemy, and I invite you for the dialogue.
Naim Leo BESIRI
Belgrade, 3/4/2017
