SNS celebrates victory in city of Nis

Speaking at an SNS media conference in the city of Nis on Monday, Pavlovic said he condemns everything that was said earlier in the day, stating that there were rumors that the SNS would have 29 seats, which would be insufficient for it to form a government.

We are a serious party, we knew the result on Sunday evening, and the City Election Commission has confirmed it, said Pavlovic.

“Nothing can be said except victory,” he emphasized.

Pavlovic explained that the SNS will form a coalition with the Russian Party.

“These are brave people who want to take responsibility for running the city,” Pavlovic said, adding that prosperity, growth, and order in the city will be the priorities of the government in Nis.

Tihomir Peric, who tops the Russian Party election ticket in Nis, joined Monday the celebration that the SNS Nis City Board said it organized in its offices to celebrate election victory.

Peric told N1 that the SNS candidate for Nis mayor was the reason why he decided to support the ruling SNS.

“I said I could talk to everyone, and since they (SNS) are the strongest party… My decision was based on the future mayoral candidate (Dragoslav Pavlovic), I know him and I see no better solution for the mayor,” Peric told N1, explaining that this is what tipped the scales.

“If someone else had been (the candidate), I wouldn't have been on this side,” said Peric.

The main opposition group in Nis claimed victory on Sunday evening, with its leader saying that the southern city had been freed.

Two election monitoring organizations, the CeSID NGO and IPSOS agency, said on Monday that their projections show that the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) did not secure a majority on the City Assembly in Nis. They said that the SNS won 29 of the 61 seats on the Nis City Assembly at Sunday’s local elections.