Vucic says will be replaced as ruling party leader, analyst says no chance

TANJUG / SAVA RADOVANOVIC

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday that he would be replaced soon as the leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), adding that the people who would take over from him would continue to win at elections.

“Let me tell you what I know N1 wants to hear – when will I be ousted  as SNS leader. Soon, but don’t worry. Even the people who take over from me will have no problem winning over the people who robbed Serbia,” Vucic told a news conference after a session of the SNS Presidency.  

He said the party would field more new young people at the coming parliamentary, provincial and local elections and added that its goal is to win an absolute majority of 126 seats in parliament or 46 percent of the vote. The Serbian parliament has a total of 250 MPs.  

 Vucic said that the list of candidates for the parliamentary elections will include 20 percent of young and unsullied people adding that he wants similar people as candidates at provincial and local elections. He said that the dirty campaign being waged against SNS officials is making its mark which is why “new blood” is needed to set a new pace in a good direction.  

“Our goals are clear. We will stand in regular parliamentary, provincial and local elections , most probably late in March, with the aim of trying to convince the people that we have worked hard and responsibly and that we have taken the right decisions,” he said, adding that everything that the progress he claims was made was achieved thanks to the will of the people who understood the difficult reforms.

Vucic refused to speak about coalition partners and said that the SNS Presidency wants the party assembly held after the elections.