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What's Being Done On . . . Breakthrough Elections ?
Yugoslavia's Presidential Election, September 24, 2000 Background | Organizations Working on Elections in Yugoslavia | Other links Background In the September 24 presidential election, opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) - a coalition of some 19 parties - won with 51.7 percent of the ballots. Incumbent Slobodan Milosevic of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) received 38.2 percent. Milosevic initially claimed that Kostunica had failed to win a majority and called for a run-off. However, after a popular uprising and pressure from the international community, Milosevic finally conceded to Kostunica, stepping down on October 6, 2000. This resulted in the end of the autocratic Milosevic regime and the beginning of the transition to democracy in Yugoslavia. The DOS also led in elections to Yugoslavia's bicameral Federal Assembly, winning 58 of the 138 seats in the lower house, while the SPS and its ally, the Yugoslav United Left, won 44 seats. Thirty-six seats were taken by other parties. Organizations Working on Elections in Yugoslavia Association of Independent Electronic Media - ANEM www.anem.org.yu/eng/index.html ANEM organized a "Get-Out-The-Vote" campaign, called "Rock for Change, Rock the Vote," targeting young voters. The campaign included 48 concerts featuring Serbia's most popular rock bands organized in 24 cities and towns throughout the country during the two to three months prior to the local and federal elections. B92 www.freeb92.net Founded in May 1989, B92 is a leading independent radio station in Belgrade that played an important role in the fight for freedom of information and in the organization of the anti-Milosevic demonstrations by using satellite and Internet communications. B92 is the founder and a leading member of ANEM. Center for Free Election and Democracy (CeSID) www.cesid.org/english/index.thtml CeSID produced a model parliamentary election law that was adopted by the DOS. The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) worked with CeSID to create a volunteer network capable of recording and transmitting observations on election day. CeSID deployed more than 5,000 trained observers to monitor activities at 3,500 polling places. CeSID's assessment of the electoral process and its nonpartisan tally confirming Kostunica's first-round victory were particularly critical given the inability of the international community to observe the elections. International Republican Institute - IRI www.iri.org/countries.asp?id=5739028410 IRI worked with a broad range of opposition political parties in Serbia to strengthen their structures and to improve their public communications. As the September 2000 elections approached, IRI worked with the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) to train more than 15,000 polling board members throughout Serbia and to conduct a parallel vote count. The DOS polling board members and parallel vote count prevented Milosevic's attempts to falsify the election results. IRI also assisted the student resistance movement, Otpor, in building a national network of more than 70,000 activists and then in designing and executing the "Vreme-je" (It's Time) get-out-the-vote campaign for the September 2000 elections. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs - NDI www.ndi.org/worldwide/cee/serbia/serbia.asp NDI trained a core group of Serbian organizers to conduct grassroots organizing in municipalities and villages throughout Serbia. They introduced thousands of DOS activists to door-to-door contact activities, candidate appearances, and get-out-the-vote techniques that were critical to the opposition's success on election day. NDI directed much of this training to women and youth to encourage broader political participation. NDI expatriate representatives conducted large-scale training in Hungary for Serbian women, youth, and municipal officials. Student RESISTANCE Movement - OTPOR www.peacelink.nu/Jugoslavia/Serbia_Otpor.html OTPOR began in 1998 to build a national network of activists and organized protests against crackdowns on media and academic freedoms. By the spring of 2000, OTPOR's protests presented a substantial challenge to the Milosevic regime. OTPOR also organized a national "Get-Out-The-Vote" campaign titled "Vreme Je" (It's Time) for the September presidential elections. The campaign coordinated door-to-door contacts with organized events throughout the country. About "What's Being Done On . . . " For three months at a time, we highlight the activities of various organizations in different global regions, and links to important resources, that are focused on a particular theme or area of democracy work. Each new theme is announced via DemocracyNews, and the information from the previous installment is placed in the archives below. We hope to receive and post information about the work you or others may be doing that is focused on these issues. Send information via e-mail to the or by fax to (202) 378-9889. |
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