Local elections were held in Serbia (excluding Kosovo) on 24 September 2000, concurrently with the first round of voting in the 2000 Yugoslavian general election and the 2000 Vojvodina provincial election. This was the fourth and final local electoral cycle to take place while Serbia was a member of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The 2000 Yugoslavian general election was a watershed event in Serbian politics, leading to the 5 October Revolution and resulting in the downfall of Slobodan Miloà ¡eviÃÂ's administration. The local elections, while less important in their own right, were part of the same general transformative moment.
To date, this was the last local electoral cycle in Serbia in which assembly delegates were elected in single-member constituencies; all subsequent cycles have been held under proportional representation. In a change from the previous cycle, delegates were elected by first-past-the-post voting rather than in run-off elections. The method of election undoubtedly contributed to the lopsided results in some opposition strongholds, including the capital Belgrade.
The Democratic Opposition of Serbia (Demokratska opozicija Srbije, DOS), a broad and ideologically diverse coalition of parties opposed to the Miloà ¡eviàadministration, won significant majority victories in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nià ¡, and other major cities. Candidates from the Democratic Party (Demokratska stranka, DS), one of the main parties in the coalition, claimed the mayoralties in several jurisdictions won by the DOS (although not in the City of Belgrade, where a series of representatives from other DOS parties held the mayor's office).
Elections were held at the city level and in all of Belgrade's constituent municipalities. The Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) won a landslide victory in the election for the City Assembly of Belgrade and equally strong victories in many of the city's constituent municipalities. The alliance won every seat in three municipalities and all seats but one in three others.
The only Belgrade municipality that the DOS did not win was Sopot, where the Socialist Party of SerbiaâÂÂYugoslav Left won a majority government, helped by the presence of an incumbent mayor who was personally popular in the community.
Other than Sopot, the only municipality in Belgrade where the DOS did not win the popular vote was Lazarevac. It may be noted that the Socialist PartyâÂÂYugoslav Left alliance ran a full slate of candidates in this municipality, while the DOS refrained from fielding candidates in three divisions (presumably due to pre-election arrangements with other opposition candidates).
Results of the election for the City Assembly of Belgrade:
Milan St. ProtiÃÂ of New Serbia (one of the parties in the Democratic Opposition of Serbia coalition) was chosen as mayor after the election. He resigned from the position on 20 March 2001 and was initially replaced on an interim basis by Dragan JoÃÂiÃÂ of the Democratic Party of Serbia. On 1 June 2001, JoÃÂiÃÂ was in turn replaced by Radmila HrustanoviÃÂ of the Civil Alliance of Serbia.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Barajevo:
Zoran JevtiÃÂ of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia was chosen as mayor after the election. He resigned on 9 February 2001 and was replaced on an interim basis by Miodrag SkokniÃÂ. After an extended period in which the municipal assembly was not convened, Dragoljub StaniÃÂ was named as the head of a provisional administration in November 2001. A new municipal election was held in 2002.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of ÃÂukarica:
Incumbent mayor Zoran AlimpiÃÂ of the Democratic Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Grocka:
Vesna IviÃÂ of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election. He was replaced by Milan TanaskoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party of Serbia on 28 June 2002; TanaskoviÃÂ was in turn replaced by Sava StarÃÂeviÃÂ of the Serbian Renewal Movement on 8 December 2002. After a further period of political upheaval, Vladan ZariÃÂ of the Democratic Party became mayor on 15 April 2003.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Lazarevac:
Ljiljana ZdravkoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party became mayor of the municipality in 2001.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Mladenovac:
Zoran KostiÃÂ of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of New Belgrade:
à ½eljko Oà ¾egoviàof the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election. Future parliamentarian Marko ÃÂurià ¡iÃÂ, also of the Democratic Party, was elected for the municipality's seventeenth division.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Obrenovac:
Petar KnezeviÃÂ of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia served as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Palilula:
Milan MarkoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Rakovica:
Srboslav ZeÃÂeviÃÂ of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Savski Venac:
Branislav BeliÃÂ of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Sopot:
Incumbent mayor à ½ivorad Milosavljeviàof the Socialist Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Stari Grad:
Mirjana Boà ¾idareviàof the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election. Nemanja à  aroviàran unsuccessfully as the Radical Party's candidate in the municipality's tenth division.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Voà ¾dovac:
Stevan RadoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of VraÃÂar:
Incumbent mayor Milena Miloà ¡eviàof the Democratic Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Zemun:
Vladan JaniÃÂijeviÃÂ of the Democratic Party became mayor after the election. Andreja MladenoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party of Serbia was elected to the assembly and served as a deputy president with responsibility for sports and youth, refugees and social issues, and relations with religious communities. Future parliamentarian Ljiljana MihajloviÃÂ ran unsuccessfully for the Radical Party in the fourth division.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Zvezdara:
Peter Moravac of the Democratic Party served as mayor after the election.
Aleksandra TomiÃÂ of the Democratic Party of Serbia was elected as the DOS's candidate in the sixteenth division ("Zvezdara II"). She was chosen as president of the executive board on 17 October 2000 and remained in this role until 13 June 2001, when she was re-assigned as an executive board member.
Elections were held in all three municipalities of the North BaÃÂka District. The Democratic Opposition of Serbia alliance won a landslide victory in Subotica, and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians afterward held the most important offices in the city, with members of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina also holding key positions.
The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians fielded its own slate of candidates in BaÃÂka Topola (in partnership with the Democratic Fellowship of Vojvodina Hungarians) and Mali IÃÂoà ¡ (on its own) and won majority victories in both jurisdictions.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Subotica:
When the assembly convened on 17 October 2000, incumbent mayor József Kasza and incumbent executive board president Imre Kern, both of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ), were confirmed for new terms in their respective offices. Bela Tonkoviàof the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina (DSHV) and Nebojà ¡a Janjiàof the Democratic Party (DS) were chosen as deputy mayors. (The VMSZ and the DS were both constituent members of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia at the republic level; the DSHV was not, although it worked in conjunction with the alliance in Subotica.)
There were several changes in the city's political leadership between 2000 and 2004. József Kasza stood down as mayor on 8 February 2001 after being appointed as a deputy prime minister of Serbia and was replaced by István Ispánovics of the VMSZ. Relations between the VMSZ and the DS subsequently worsened, and Janjiàwas removed as a deputy mayor in defiance of the existing coalition agreement.
Imre Kern stood down as president of the executive board on 16 May 2002 after being appointed to a position in the Vojvodina provincial government (although he remained a member of the city assembly). The following day, Géza Kucsera of the VMSZ was chosen as his replacement and Saà ¡a VuÃÂiniàof the DS was chosen as a deputy mayor.
István Ispánovics resigned as mayor on 29 May 2003, citing health issues, and was replaced by Kucsera. Rumours circulated that the transition actually took place due to divisions in the VMSZ. ÃÂrpád Papp, also of the VMSZ, succeeded Kucsera as president of the executive board.
Bela TonkoviÃÂ was expelled from the DSHV in October 2003 and was removed as a deputy mayor on 10 November 2003.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BaÃÂka Topola:
Attila Bábi was chosen as mayor on 24 October 2000. Lászlo Fehér and ÃÂgoston Deli were chosen as deputy mayors, and Aleksandar Dudás, who was not a candidate in the election, became president of the executive board. Bábi and Fehér were members of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Deli was a member of the Democratic Fellowship of Vojvodina Hungarians, and Dudás had previously served as a legal representative of the coalition between the parties.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Mali IÃÂoà ¡:
When the assembly convened on 24 October 2000, Béla Sipos was chosen as mayor and Károly Pál as president of the executive board. On 7 December 2000, László Horváth was chosen as deputy mayor. All were members of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.
Béla Sipos died unexpectedly on 23 September 2001. On 27 November 2001, László Horváth was chosen as his replacement and József Rácz, also of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, was named as deputy mayor.
József Rácz resigned as deputy mayor on 7 June 2002 and was replaced by József Dudás, also of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians. Rácz later died on 5 January 2004.
On 13 February 2004, László Horváth resigned as mayor and József Dudás resigned as deputy mayor. István Szà ±gyi was chosen as the municipality's new mayor on the same day, and Teréz Virág was chosen as deputy mayor. Both were, of course, members of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians.
Elections were held in all twelve municipalities of the South BaÃÂka District. The Democratic Opposition of Serbia was successful in most areas, winning the Novi Sad municipal assembly in a landslide and participating on the winning side in at least seven of the eleven other municipalities (sometimes in alliance with the Serbian Renewal Movement and other opposition candidates).
The Socialist Party of Serbia held its historical strongholds of BaÃÂka Palanka and BeoÃÂin and also won a narrow victory in Titel (although it was not able to form a stable government in the last of these communities). The defeat of the Socialists in Vrbas, another of the party's historical strongholds, was considered an upset.
Independent candidates won the largest number of seats in BaÃÂki Petrovac, and independent candidate Pavel Zima was subsequently chosen as mayor of the municipality.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Novi Sad:
Borislav NovakoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election. Former mayor Milorad MirÃÂiÃÂ of the Radical Party sought re-election to the assembly and, like all Radical Party candidates in this cycle, was defeated.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BaÃÂ:
Tomislav BogunoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BaÃÂka Palanka:
Zvezdan KisiÃÂ of the Socialist Party served as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BaÃÂki Petrovac:
Independent delegate Pavel Zima served as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BeÃÂej:
Zoran Stojà ¡in of the Democratic Party became mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BeoÃÂin:
Dimitrije KovaÃÂeviÃÂ of the Socialist Party was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Srbobran:
Branislav PivniÃÂki, who was elected as a candidate of the Democratic Party, was chosen was mayor on 12 October 2000 with the support of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia and aligned representatives. Tamás Dosztán became deputy mayor, and ÃÂorÃÂe Kalember became president of the executive committee.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Sremski Karlovci:
ÃÂorÃÂe GaÃÂiÃÂ of the Serbian Renewal Movement (one of the parties in the United Democratic Opposition) served as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Temerin:
Although the Socialist PartyâÂÂYugoslav Left alliance won a plurality victory, the sixteen opposition delegates were able to unite to form a new local government. Petar Novak of the Democratic Party of Serbia (one of the parties in the United Democratic Opposition alliance) was chosen as mayor after the election. He was succeeded by ÃÂuro à ½iga of the same party in 2002.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Titel:
When the assembly convened on 16 October 2000, a representative from the Socialist Party of Serbia was chosen as mayor, and a candidate co-proposed by the Socialists and the Democratic Opposition of Serbia was chosen as deputy mayor.
The local government formed after this election was not stable, and a new municipal election was held in November 2001. Milivoj PetroviÃÂ of the Democratic Party was named as leader of the municipal council prior to the 2001 vote and was confirmed as mayor afterward.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Vrbas:
Rafail Ruskovski of the Democratic Party served as mayor after the election. Milan StanimiroviÃÂ, also of the Democratic Party, succeeded him in 2002.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of à ½abalj:
The Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) participated in the Democratic Opposition of Serbia alliance in à ½abalj, and Vasa Zlokolica of the SPO was chosen as mayor after the election.
Local elections were held in all eight municipalities of the MaÃÂva District.
In the administrative centre of à  abac, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia won a majority victory. In Loznica, the second-largest community, the Socialist Party of Serbia's alliance technically won a narrow victory, but the DOS was able to form a coalition government afterward.
The SPS alliance won a minority victory in BogatiÃÂ, the third-largest community. In the smaller communities of Koceljeva, Krupanj, Ljubovija, Mali Zvornik, and Vladimirci, the SPS alliance won majority victories.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of à  abac:
Duà ¡an Petroviàof the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BogatiÃÂ:
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Koceljeva:
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Krupanj:
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Ljubovija:
Vidoje JovanoviÃÂ of the Socialist Party of Serbia was chosen as mayor after the election.
Future parliamentarian Sreto PeriÃÂ was the Serbian Radical Party's candidate for Ljubovija's twenty-first division.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Loznica:
The Democratic Opposition of Serbia formed government after the election, and Slobodan KaitoviÃÂ of the Democratic Party became mayor.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Mali Zvornik:
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Vladimirci:
Local elections were held in the City of Nià ¡, both of Nià ¡'s constituent municipalities, and the six other municipalities of the Nià ¡ava District.
The results showed a pronounced divide between the city, where the DOS won an overwhelming victory, and its periphery, where the SPSâÂÂJUL alliance won majority victories in every jurisdiction except one. (The exception was Svrljig, where the result was a tie and a member of the DOS ultimately won the mayor's office.)
The SPS subsequently lost its majority in Raà ¾anj, and a temporary administration was appointed prior to a new election in 2002.
Results of the election for the City Assembly of Nià ¡:
Incumbent mayor Zoran à ½ivkoviàof the Democratic Party was re-elected in Nià ¡'s fifty-eighth division and was initially confirmed for another term as mayor when the city assembly convened in October 2000. à ½ivkoviàresigned the following month after being appointed to a ministerial position in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; his successor was Goran ÃÂiriÃÂ, also a member of the Democratic Party, who had been elected in the forty-eighth division.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Nià ¡:
Vladimir Domazet of the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor of the municipality after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Nià ¡ka Banja:
Branislav Cvetkoviàof the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor after the election. He was later succeeded by à ½ivota StojanoviÃÂ.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Aleksinac:
The local government proved unstable, and a new election was held in November 2001. Radoslav PavkoviÃÂ served as mayor after the latter election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Doljevac:
Predrag StanojeviÃÂ of the Socialist Party served as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Gadà ¾in Han:
Incumbent mayor Sinià ¡a Stamenkoviàof the Socialist Party was confirmed for another term in office after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Meroà ¡ina:
The Socialist Party remained in power after the election. Following a period of local upheaval, Socialist Party member Zoran RistiÃÂ was chosen as mayor on 13 January 2002.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Raà ¾anj:
The Socialist Party won the election, but it fell from power on 3 December 2001, when sixteen assembly members resigned. The assembly was dissolved, à ½ivotije Popoviàof the Democratic Opposition of Serbia was appointed as president of a provisional council, and new elections were scheduled for 2002.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Svrljig:
The election resulted in a tie between the Socialists and the combined forces of the opposition. When the assembly convened Tihomir Vidanoviàof the Democratic Party was chosen as mayor over SPS candidate Saà ¡a GoluboviÃÂ. Vidanoviàresigned in 2004, and Golubovià(who had since left the SPS to join G17 Plus) was chosen as his successor.
Elections were held in all seven municipalities of the à  umadija District. The DOS won a somewhat unexpected majority victory in Kragujevac and also won majorities in AranÃÂelovac, Lapovo, and Topola. A local opposition alliance including the DOS won in KniÃÂ, and in RaÃÂa the DOS and SPO ran a combined campaign and won a landslide majority.
The SPSâÂÂJUL alliance won a narrow majority in BatoÃÂina and an incumbent mayor from the Yugoslav Left initially remained in power, but he was removed from office in 2001. The Democratic Party of Serbia won a new election in the municipality later in the same year.
Results of the election for the City Assembly of Kragujevac:
Prior to the election, the local membership of the Democratic Party in Kragujevac was divided between those who favoured membership in the DOS and those who wanted to align with the "Together for Kragujevac" citizens' group led by incumbent mayor Veroljub StevanoviÃÂ of the Serbian Renewal Movement. The DS board was dissolved in the middle of the campaign, and many of its members joined StevanoviÃÂ's campaign.
The DOS's majority victory in the city was somewhat unexpected. Vlatko RajkoviÃÂ, a Democratic Party member who had aligned himself with the DOS, was chosen as mayor.
Yugoslavian parliamentarian Nataà ¡a Jovanoviàof the Serbian Radical Party was defeated in her bid for election in Kragujevac's fiftieth ward.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of AranÃÂelovac:
Radmilo Miloà ¡eviàof the Democratic Party of Serbia was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of BatoÃÂina:
Incumbent mayor Slobodan à ½ivuloviàof the Yugoslav Left was confirmed for a new term in office after the election. An international warrant was later issued for his arrest, and he went on the run. The Serbian government introduced an administration led by Radià ¡a Miloà ¡eviàof the Democratic Party, which remained in power for nine months. A new election was held in November 2001, after which time Miodrag Nikoliàof the Democratic Party of Serbia served as mayor.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of KniÃÂ:
Vojin MaksimoviÃÂ of the United Opposition of KniÃÂ served as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Lapovo:
Miloà ¡ Zdravkoviàof the Democratic Opposition of Serbia served as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of RaÃÂa:
The Serbian Renewal Movement and Democratic Opposition of Serbia ran a coordinated campaign in RaÃÂa, with each group withholding candidates in certain electoral divisions to prevent vote-splitting. SlaÃÂan RadovanoviÃÂ of the Serbian Renewal Movement was chosen as mayor after the election.
Results of the election for the Municipal Assembly of Topola:
Miomir TadiÃÂ of New Serbia was chosen as mayor after the election.