United Civic Front 'Won't Change Serbian Politics'

Despite the decision of a number of Serbian NGOs and civic movements to launch a joint front in politics, Dodje Vukovic, from the Belgrade-based center for Free Elections and Democracy, CESID, said he doubted they can achieve real change in Serbia.

"Those organizations do not have the strength to 'pass' the electoral threshold, which is 5 per cent. Even if they do pass it, the question is whether they can do anything in parliament," he said.

"They do not have a big opportunity in the political field. Maybe they could do something locally, in their communities," Vukovic added.

Several civic organizations from different towns and cities in Serbia, including "Let's not Drown Belgrade", the League of Roma, the Multiethnic Centre for Development of the Danube Region, from Bor, the Movement of Free Residents and the Bureau for Social Research, BIRODI, on Monday announced the formation of a joint "Citizen Front".

The "Citizen Front" is also supported by the Anti-Corruption Forum from Nis, the Left Summit of Serbia and the Support RTV movement from Novi Sad.

The independent MP, journalist and analyst Djordje Vukadinovic said the creation of the joint "Citizen Front" was just a start and only time would tell whether they had a future.

"Time will show whether they can do something on the political scene. In this form, they are not dangerous to the political elite. However ... if they continue to grow, maybe they could bring about change," Vukadinovic told BIRN.

"Citizen Front" activist Predrag Vostinic from Kraljevo said the main goal of the movement was to re-establish the rule of law, which he said was under pressure from the government.

"Our goal is to gather local activists and push our agenda to the state level, which is...