{"id":35589,"date":"2023-06-01T12:01:08","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T10:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cins.rs\/?p=35589"},"modified":"2025-04-22T16:19:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T14:19:13","slug":"people-brought-to-sns-rally-by-vehicles-of-state-institutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cins.rs\/en\/people-brought-to-sns-rally-by-vehicles-of-state-institutions\/","title":{"rendered":"People Brought to SNS Rally by Vehicles of State Institutions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thousands of citizens from across Serbia set off for Belgrade on Friday, May 26. Their destination was “the largest gathering in the history of Serbia” \u2013 which is how the ruling <\/span>Serbian Progressive Party<\/span><\/i> (SNS) had announced the <\/span>Serbia of Hope<\/span><\/i> rally.<\/span><\/p>

Along multiple Belgrade streets and boulevards, one could see endless columns of parked vehicles. There were so many that in some places they were parked in four columns, on the road and on the tram tracks.<\/span><\/p>

Among them was the minibus of the <\/span>Leptiri\u0107i<\/span><\/i> kindergarten from Ra\u017eanj, a small town in the southeast of Serbia. On it was a piece of paper with the name of its municipality and district.<\/span><\/p>

The Director of that kindergarten, <\/span>Marija An\u0111elkovi\u0107<\/b>, confirmed for the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS) that she and others from the kindergarten came to the rally in that vehicle. When asked who paid for this and whether there was a travel order for such a trip, An\u0111elkovi\u0107 did not want to give a clear answer:<\/span><\/p>

“I saw all kinds of things in the days preceding the rally and on that day in Belgrade, and I’m interested in all kinds of things, but I don’t keep calling people to ask.”<\/span><\/p>

It was one of at least eight vehicles owned by local public companies and institutions, municipalities or cities, which were used to bring SNS supporters to the rally.<\/span><\/p>

These are vehicles that CINS journalists spotted in Nemanjina Street and on Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra Street. These were just 2 of the 16 locations where buses and minibuses organized for transport to this gathering were parked.<\/span><\/p>

Pavle Dimitrijevi\u0107<\/b>, a lawyer from the organization CRTA, which monitors elections and the work of political parties, says that there is suspicion of misuse of public resources and that this should be investigated.<\/span><\/p>

“That is a problem, because the legal basis is unknown \u2013 why are public company vehicles at a rally of the President of the republic, that is, the president of the SNS.”<\/span><\/p>

On that day, minibuses owned by the municipalities of Lebane and Dimitrovgrad<\/span> were parked alongside other vehicles that were transporting Serbian Progressive Party supporters. They were bought using funds from the <\/span>Ministry of Rural Welfare <\/span><\/i>and their purpose should be transporting people from rural areas.<\/span><\/p>

In the column of vehicles that brought SNS supporters to the rally, there was also a mini-bus plastered with photos of the <\/span>Cari\u010din grad<\/span> archaeological site, with the coat of arms of the <\/span>Municipality of Lebane<\/span> and an inscription that leads to the official website of the municipality. However, the Assistant to the Lebane Municipality<\/span> President, <\/span>Nata\u0161a Stojanovi\u0107<\/span>, said that the vehicle is not municipal, but rather an advertisement:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"There was a vehicle, an advertisement for the location <\/span>Cari\u010din grad<\/span>, which is a tourist attraction, an archaeological attraction for the whole of Serbia. Let's start promoting things like this a little, to put it aside, and let\u2019s stop spreading hatred among people.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the rally, a minibus with the markings of the City of Kru\u0161evac was also parked on Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra Street. The markings were covered with white tape. Even though the public procurement<\/span> portal \u2013 in a document from September 2022 \u2013 lists this vehicle as theirs, the office of the Mayor of Kru\u0161evac, <\/span>Jasmina Palurovi\u0107<\/span>, says that their official vehicles were not at the rally.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Nata\u0161a Stojanovi\u0107<\/b>, Assistant to the Lebane Municipality President, says that she did not pay attention and does not know that the minibus was there that day, while the Dimitrovgrad Municipality President, <\/span>Vladica Dimitrov<\/b>, says that he was at the rally that day, but that he did not see that minibus:<\/span><\/p>

“I can’t be certain, but I don\u2019t remember that minibus being in circulation.”<\/span><\/p>

Secretary at the <\/span>Ministry of Rural Welfare<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Sne\u017eana Petrovi\u0107<\/b>, says that they did not know anything about this and that “it will be looked into”.<\/span><\/p>

On the streets was also a minibus from Bor with “school bus” written on it. The Mayor of Bor, <\/span>Aleksandar Miliki\u0107<\/b>, has told CINS that the minibus is owned by the <\/span>Tourism Organization<\/span><\/i> of this city and that on that day it was transporting the family and friends of their fellow citizen who was competing at a music festival.<\/span><\/p>

“One of our children from Bor, Katarina, is competing on RTS. Rock Festival. She was with her parents and family at that competition.”<\/span><\/p>

However, CINS reached out to <\/span>Katarina Jovanovi\u0107<\/b> from Bor, who competed at this festival that day, and she claims that what the Mayor is saying is not true:<\/span><\/p>

“It is such a mockery. I am shocked. It is a total misuse of who I am for the sake of something I am expressly against.”<\/span><\/p>

According to the Mayor, this means of transport was made available at the request of Katarina’s father, <\/span>Dragan Jovanovi\u0107<\/b>. He did not want to speak publicly, but Katarina claims that her parents came in their own car.<\/span><\/p>