site.btaSerbian Scientists and Businesspeople Living in US Call for Early Parliamentary Elections in Serbia

Serbian scientists and businesspeople living in the US have appealed to the National Assembly and the President of Serbia to call early parliamentary elections to overcome the crisis in the country, which has been rocked by anti-government protests for more than nine months, Serbian media reported.

Among them are scholars from leading American universities, as well as founders, investors, and executives of companies that employ a large number of people in Serbia. Many of them have supported and continue to support scientific and business projects in Serbia for years and intend to do so in the future and state in their statement that although they have different political views, their common goal is the prosperity of Serbia and its citizens.

Expressing regret at the escalation of conflict and violence, Serbian scientists and businesspeople noted that the differences are fundamental, polarization among the population is growing, and the country's economic progress is at risk. They argued that “students are sacrificing their careers, there are fewer first-year students, and the brain drain is increasing.”

The problem of corruption, one of the main causes of the protests, is not denied by anyone, not even the government itself, the statement further read.

Emphasizing that they are motivated by patriotic sentiments, the Serbian academics and businesspeople concluded their appeal by calling on all parties to play a constructive role in creating conditions for fair elections (access to the media, updated electoral rolls, independent observers), to condemn and avoid all violence, and to commit to accepting the results of a fair electoral process.

Anti-government protests have been taking place in Serbia for over nine months following the collapse of the canopy at the railway station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad on November 1 last year, which caused the deaths of 16 people. The tragedy sparked a wave of social discontent across the country. Students blocked over 60 faculties nationwide and took the lead in the already spontaneously emerging protests, accusing the government and President Aleksandar Vucic of corruption and nepotism.

During a massive protest in Belgrade on Vidovdan, June 28 - a date heavy with historical symbolism for Serbs – students called for early parliamentary elections and urged citizens to support them by participating in various forms of civil disobedience.