The opposition in Šavnik announced today that they will temporarily halt the blockade of the Šavnik-Žabljak main road for four days. They believe that recent discussions with representatives of the parliamentary majority indicate a willingness to finally address the ongoing three-year institutional crisis in Šavnik.

“Thus, as a gesture of goodwill and trust in the proposed actions, we have decided to suspend the blockades for four days,” stated representatives of the “For the Future of Šavnik” coalition (NSD, SNP, DNP) and “Let’s Go People” (DCG, UCG, and PES).

The opposition expects that during this period, tangible steps and solutions will emerge to “end the prolonged institutional blockade and the serious infringement of citizens’ rights in Šavnik.”

“If there is no genuine progress and resolution by Thursday, we will resume the blockades daily from 1 PM to 4 PM until this intolerable situation is resolved. We hold the government accountable for its obligations to the citizens and the rule of law,” declared the Šavnik opposition, which has been protesting the re-election of Jugoslav Jakić (DPS) as mayor and the unresolved electoral crisis since October 2022.

Since February 27, they have been blocking the road, demanding that both the legislative and executive branches of government in the country take action to resolve the Šavnik crisis stemming from the local elections of 2022, which remain unresolved.

The elections in Šavnik began on October 23, 2022, coinciding with elections in 13 other municipalities; however, they were interrupted when members of the “For the Future of Šavnik” opposition coalition, led by the former Democratic Front, obstructed some newly registered voters from casting their ballots, alleging that these individuals were mobilized to support the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

Voting occurred nine times at two polling stations—one in the municipality building and another in the village of Kruševice, involving 541 eligible voters—culminating on December 18, 2022, when elections were suspended once more, and the Municipal Election Commission could not agree on rescheduling them.

To date, numerous individuals have faced prosecution concerning incidents related to the Šavnik elections, which included various altercations, including physical confrontations.

Recently, some ruling parties proposed amendments to the Law on the Voters’ Register to restrict “election tourists” from Šavnik—those who deregistered their residence post the elections initiated in 2022—from participating in any potential repeat voting at the two polling stations, regardless of their status on the voters’ register.

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