The local opposition regarded the attempts of the Serbian leadership to restrain the spread of coronavirus in the country as an opportunity to destabilize the situation and even attempts to overthrow the government.
The decision of the official Belgrade to introduce the emergency regime in the republic and postpone the parliamentary elections provoked a storm of ostentatious indignation among the opposition. A united front, pro-Western leaders began to criticize the actions of President Alexander Vuchich, although earlier they themselves had called for a response to the spread of COVID-19.
Some even began to prepare an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, accusing Belgrade of restricting their freedoms. At the same time, one of the leaders of the pro-Western opposition alliance, Dragan Jilas, began to criticize the authorities for restrictions on the elderly. Since the older generation is at risk, people over 65 are not allowed to go out.
“We have had to endure your ignorance and attacks on the elderly for a month now”, – Jilas addressed President Vučić.
“You say Belgrade’s cemeteries may be crowded. You shout daily on the air at people who go outside. All this is only because you began to act very late”.
Lyubisha Dishich went even further. In a social network, he began to openly incite people to a coup d’etat and urge citizens to come out for mass protests, realizing what this will lead to in the context of the coronavirus epidemic.
“Day by day, it’s all the more clear that Vučić and his government are not able to cope with the problem. It seems that the time has come for the opposition forces to take the people to the streets and demand an interim government, media freedom and an effective emergency headquarters”.
The head of the opposition Doors party, Bosko Obradovic, generally demanded to “isolate” Alexander Vucic, accusing the President of violating the Constitution. Obradovic motivated the demand for isolation by the fact that Vucic had previously visited Hungary, where he negotiated with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. At the same time, the opposition called for the arrest of Vučić if he does not agree to the observation.
Alexander Vuchich himself has already commented on this statement, calling Obradovich’s words “a typical example of incitement to a coup d’etat”.