Official: Belgrade heading for new elections

(Patria) - The constitutive session of the City Assembly was supposed to be held in Belgrade today, but the presiding officer Toma Fila announced that there are no conditions for forming the Assembly and that the citizens of Belgrade will go to new elections.

This was the third attempt to form the Assembly and confirm the mandates of the representatives. The first attempt was on February 19, but there was no majority then. The same scenario was repeated two days ago. Fila presided over today's session as the oldest representative, Telegraf reports.

He announced again that there is no quorum and that the conditions for forming the City Assembly of Belgrade have not been met.

"There is no majority. After the elections were held, the conditions stipulated by the Law on Local Self-Government for the formation of the City Assembly of Belgrade have not been met," he said.

Representatives of "Serbia Against Violence", led by list holders Dobrica Veselinović and Vladimir Obradović, arrived at the Assembly today. They entered the foyer and displayed banners that read "Theft will not pass", "Belgrade will not have you" and "You are all phantoms".

The Serbian government will now appoint a temporary body to take care of the city. The Speaker of the National Assembly must call new elections within the next month. New elections must be held within 45 to 60 days from the date they are called.