Serbia's biggest opposition party gets new leader

World November 25, 2012

Serbia's biggest opposition party gets new leader

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's biggest opposition party, the pro-Western Democrats, have elected Belgrade's popular mayor as the new party leader.

Dragan Djilas won overwhelming support in a vote Sunday. He succeeded Boris Tadic, Serbia's former president, who remains the "honorary president" of the Democratic Party. Tadic stepped down from the party helm after he and the party lost general elections earlier this year to the nationalists, former loyalists of Serbia's late strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

While in power, Tadic helped Serbia reconcile with its former wartime foes Croatia and Bosnia and led it closer to the European Union. But he has failed to stem the country's rampant corruption and economic decline.

The 45-year-old Djilas has promised to reform the party and draft a plan for Serbia's recovery in the coming months.

Subjects
People
- Boris Tadic,
- Slobodan Milosevic
Locations
- Serbia,
- Eastern Europe,
- Europe
Organisations
- European Union

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