NEWSLETTER No. 4

LESKOVAC

Elections – means of reconciliation

Subsequent to the local elections, with exceptionally stressed nationalism of the candidates in three municipalities bordering with Kosovo, the need to educate and better inform the citizens on democratic values and importance of the multiethnic arose. The extremely negative attitude of the citizens in the South Serbian municipalities to even mentioning democracy has, since the previous regime, remained deeply impressed into their minds. Poor information inflow and low level of education of the people from the region has so far been used for everyday political purposes. The marks left by the previous regimes, Tito’s and Milosevic’s, are particularly reflected in the attitude of the population towards the institution of political elections.

As it has been proved many times before that people here do not trust the elections and their regularity, the recently held elections in three municipalities, Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, also resulted in the negative attitude towards elections. There were no multinational political options in these elections. This kind of fragmentation opened new possibilities for international mistrust among the citizens.

Conflicts between the opposed ethnic or political groups at the mentioned local elections, and the future possible conflicts in any of the forthcoming elections, always have citizens as their victims. If, through our beliefs and the beliefs of all ethnic groups fighting for the affirmation of democratic values, we intensify the image of the multicultural and togetherness, we will set the grounds for new good neighbourly relations.  

After toppling Milosevic’s regime, "commissioned municipalities" sprang like mushrooms in this region. Actually, in six municipalities in which the socialists had the majority, the "Republic" introduced emergency administration! 

As the time passed by, there were new elections in these municipalities and new forces came to power in the local parliaments. However, the frightening fact is that in time mostly national and radical forces have become stronger.

First blow to democratic values and  institutions:

In the primary of the elections held in Bosilegrad, Crna Trava and Lebane, the "pro- democratic" socialist forces won. These municipal groups consisting of a small number of members mainly "jumped over" into the DOS parties. According to the subsequent election results, this seems to have caused even greater displeasure of the voters, after they realised what kind of changes they had got. 

Second blow to democratic values:

Municipalities bordering with Kosovo participated in the election run-off. Medvedja, Bujanovac and Presevo entered the election race according to the new law on the election of the local self-management. For the first time, this law stipulates the immediate election of the municipality president. This showed the real picture of democratic options in this area. All the options offered to the voters were purely national.

The presidential election on the Republic level led to a complete victory of the extreme right wing in the South of Serbia. What is ahead of us is the local election in Leskovac, which, according to law, must be held by February 2003. The presidential election was like a trial to what the voters’ dispositions were. If certain actions for international reconciliation and their promotion are not urgently carried out in the upcoming elections, there is a real chance that the local self-management in Leskovac will be taken over by the extreme forces. This kind of outcome could be fatal, not only in the sense of degrading democratic institutions and values, but also the economic development of the entire region!

There was not a single "First time voter" campaign in these elections either, which  led to the extremists to take sway and start destroying the already frail multiethnic community we are living in. This kind of the election outcome cannot positively influence our multicultural and multiethnic community and thus the need for educating the young on democratic values and NGO capacity building in this region is alarmingly increasing!

The civic forces which have the most important role as society cultivators are still developing. Parallel to the change of regime and the beginning of democratic processes, a tendency of forming non-governmental organisations arose in the territory of South Serbia, with the mission to democratise the society. A great number of those non-governmental organisations gathers people who wish to make a contribution to their communities and have already started a lot of processes towards democracy.

However, the main problem of NGOs and their members is the lack of education on democratic values and the impossibility that they become better informed on the work of NGO sector so they could build stable and sustainable organisations which would have the possibility to carry out long-term activities in the regions where they were formed.

Through a good and coordinated educational action and intense campaign of multilingual character, this problem can be well shaken up.  Through a campaign that will invite all the people of good will to become part of the electoral process, the first part of fighting against electoral abstinence will begin. As the only weapon of the wise!

Basically, already directed towards setting up and building the civil society, NGOs can serve as a basis of the civic society and a spring board in the region for all further activities of this kind. 

Education is the only way to bring the existing NGOs closer to a more successful  functioning and acting, which will represent a basis of the system of values which should be pumped into the heads of the people close to us. Thus prepared, organisations will start turning the recovered wheel of the civic community in this part of the Balkans as well.